"Britain’s housing market is clearly feeling the strain of uncertainty in the run-up to the Autumn Budget"
- Steve Foreman - The Property DriveBuy
Research from Property DriveBuy shows that home sellers across Britain are reducing asking prices in a bid to secure buyers ahead of the Autumn Budget. The slowdown in activity has created tougher conditions for sellers, particularly in regions already seeing values weaken.
Average asking prices fell to £364,833 in November, a decline of 1.8% from October. This contributed to a 0.5% annual drop. London recorded the largest yearly fall at 2.1%, followed by the South West at 1.1%. On a monthly basis, Scotland saw the steepest decline at 3.2%, while the South East dropped 2.7%.
Analysis from Property DriveBuy also highlights how these reductions are affecting the live market. Across Britain, the number of homes listed for sale over a 30-day period with reduced asking prices increased by 14.8% between October and November 2025. Some cities show far sharper rises, suggesting sellers are reacting quickly to softening demand.
Sheffield recorded the biggest jump, with a 50% rise in reduced-price listings over the past month. Brighton followed with a 44% increase. In Cardiff, the number grew by 35.7%, while Leicester rose 28.6%, Manchester 21.8%, Newcastle 21.1%, and Liverpool 20.6%. Each of these cities has seen more than a 20% increase in price cuts.
“Britain’s housing market is clearly feeling the strain of uncertainty in the run-up to the Autumn Budget,” said Steve Foreman, founder and CEO of Property DriveBuy. “With momentum slowing and buyer confidence dipping, we’re seeing more sellers make the difficult decision to reduce their asking price in order to secure interest.”
He continued by linking market sensitivity to speculation over tax policy. “The sharp rise in price-reduced listings across major cities shows just how sensitive the market has become to speculation around potential tax changes, particularly at the higher end,” commented Steve. “Until there is clarity, both buyers and sellers are treading carefully, and this caution is now filtering through into the day-to-day pricing of homes coming to market.”
Steve also noted that these changes reflect shifting sentiment rather than structural instability. “These conditions do not point to a market in distress, but they do underline how quickly sentiment can shift when major fiscal decisions are on the horizon.”
