Where in the UK the average home seller gained the most last year
New analysis shows London has now overtaken North East England as the region where homeowners are most likely to sell their property for less than they originally paid. Research by property company Hamptons, which examines parts of England and Wales, estimates that 14.8 per cent of sellers in London will surrender their homes at a loss in 2025. This figure represents the highest rate in their study and significantly exceeds the national average of 8.7 percent.
Historically, sellers in the North East faced the highest likelihood of losses; This trend has been observed in nine of the last 10 years. As recently as 2019, almost a third (29.9 per cent) of house sellers in the North East were selling below purchase price, compared to just 9.2 per cent in London. This disparity has been attributed to the northern region’s long recovery following the 2008 financial crisis. But recent strong price growth in the northern regions has since boosted returns for sellers there, the Hamptons said.
The proportion of loss-making sales in the North East has fallen to 13.9% in 2025.
As a result of a “reversal of fortunes” between North and South, the increasing trend of losses in London is largely driven by flat sellers, the report said.
The average homeowner selling in England and Wales last year sold their property for £91,260 more than they paid for it, according to calculations by the Hamptons; This represents a 41.0% increase in value over a typical nine-year period spent owning a home.
This is £570 less than the 2024 average gross profit of £91,830.
The Hamptons analyzed Land Registry data by comparing the price homeowners paid for their property with the price they sold their property for.
The average seller in London in 2025 achieved a price of £172,510 (44.6%) above the price they originally paid, but most of the increase was due to historic house price growth, the Hamptons said.
The sustained level of house price growth in the North of England over the past decade has meant that sellers there have made proportionally higher returns than those in the South.
In 2025, the average seller in the North West saw a 45.4% increase in the value of their home over the course of their ownership. Apart from London, no southern region recorded average gains above 40%.
Aneisha Beveridge, head of research for the Hamptons, said: “House price growth in London is no longer the one-way bet it once seemed.
“In some cases, even property owners who bought a decade ago face getting back less than they paid for, something that was almost unthinkable in the heady days of 2015, and sums are likely to remain tight for many.”
He said over the next few years more sellers would miss out on London’s house price boom between 2012 and 2016, “instead buying at the top of the market. This could make buying and selling increasingly challenging.”
Ms Beveridge added: “At a national level, rising returns in the North helped offset declining returns in the South, with the overall picture remaining broadly unchanged from last year.
“With much of the recent price increases in the North and Midlands now taking effect, it is possible that dealer earnings will outpace those in the South in both cash and percentage terms for the foreseeable future.
“The recent slowdown in house price growth nationally is likely to reduce the gain homeowners will receive when they come to sell a home in the coming years. However, for many people, moving remains a discretionary decision that is heavily influenced by the value they can achieve.”
“If numbers don’t rise and sellers risk losing some of their original deposit, many are opting to stay put. This means some homeowners, particularly those who are unable to make a profit, are likely to be left out of the market.”
The Hamptons used the Land Registry’s “price paid” data to match homes sold in 2025 with their previous purchases.
The data looked back 20 years to create a “similar” time series. For example, 2025 seller earnings include homes purchased after 2005, while 2024 seller earnings are based on post-2004 purchases.
Those behind the study said overall capital gains were likely understated because those who have owned a home for more than 20 years will generally experience stronger house price growth.
Earnings were calculated based on the difference between the purchase and sale price, and money spent on properties was not taken into account.
Here’s the shares of sellers getting back less than they paid for their properties in 2025, according to Hamptons’ calculations:
London, 14.8%
North East, 13.9%
South East, 9.0%
South West, 8.3%
North West, 8.1%
Yorkshire and Humber, 8.0%
East of England, 7.9%
West Midlands, 6.9%
East Midlands, 6.7%
Wales, 6.2%
Here’s the average cash earnings for home sellers in 2025, according to the Hamptons, and then the change compared to sellers’ cash earnings in 2024. The figures are the average of sellers who made a profit as well as those who made a loss. The negative figure indicates that the average cash gain is smaller than in 2024:
London, £172,510, £160
South East, £108,030, minus £8,530
South West, £91,890, minus £4,200
East of England, £97,130, minus £3,140
East Midlands, £70,730, minus £800
West Midlands, £76,220, £3,240
North East, £41,140, £2,920
North West, £70,520, £5,690
Yorkshire and Humber, £62,180, £1,800
Wales, £68,120, £1,410
