Platinum property prices

Platinum property prices

As the nation prepares to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, we’ve looked back at changes in the housing market during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1952, the average price of a home was just £1,891. Adjusting for inflation that would be £57,997 today. At £267,620, the current average price of a home is over four times that figure.

Back in the 1950s, over two-thirds of households were renters; today close to two-thirds of households are owner-occupiers.

Like today, there was a housing shortage. But the 1950s was an era of rapid housebuilding, as part of the post-war reconstruction.

For those seeking to buy, the average price of property in 1952 equated to 4x average annual earnings, compared to over 8x today. Source: Dataloft, Nationwide, ONS


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There's no getting around the fact that April has been an unusual month to try to read the property market. The ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East — higher energy prices, inflation concerns, rising mortgage rates — have introduced a level of uncertainty that nobody was anticipating at the start of the year.

March has been a month of genuine contrasts in the property market. Asking prices have edged up, buyer activity has held relatively firm, and the spring selling season has arrived broadly on cue, yet there's an undercurrent of uncertainty that anyone thinking about moving needs to be aware of.

For tenants, April is a useful point to pause and plan. With rents still rising across the UK and the first phase of rental reform approaching in England, this is a good time to review your budget, renewal options and next move.

With mortgage rates steadier and spring listings emerging, March 2026 offers buyers a balanced window before peak competition intensifies.