Property website Zoopla has forecast the areas of the country where homes will be in most demand and where prices will fall – some might surprise you
Northern England and Scotland dominate a list of what are forecast to be the UK’s property hotspots this year.
Housing website Zoopla used four key measures to assess which postcodes will be the most popular, including affordability, average time it takes the sell a home, the percentage of properties for sale for more than six months, plus the likelihood of asking prices being cut.
It took these factors into account to pinpoint the postal areas which it expects to have the strongest prospects for 2026.Areas at the top of the rankings tended to have homes selling quickly, often without the need for asking price cuts and without an above-average amount of unsold stock.
And Scotland accounted for an overwhelming nine of the top 10 places based on a combination of those factors.
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According to Zoopla, the hottest postcode of the lot this year will be Motherwell (ML), where it reckons prices of £134,700 will rise by another 3.4%. It helps that the typical home in the town is snapped up in just 14 days, and just 7% of properties have been for sale for more than six months. Runner-up was Glasgow, with the average property price of £163,600 forecast to increase 3%. Like Motherwell, the average home in the city is sold in just a fortnight, and only 4% of sellers cut their asking price by more than 5%.
When in comes to England, Zoopla’s list of likely hotspots includes a number from the North West. Wigan’s WN postcode is the only one that makes into the website’s national top 10. The town scores highly for affordability, with an average property price of £175,800, although Zoopla forecasts a 3% rise this year. But it takes more like 32 days for the average home in Wigan to sell, not much less than the 39 days nationally.
Using the link below, you can find out how your area compares with these high flying property hotspots.
Liverpool is in 11th place, with property prices in the city forecast to rise by 3.5% this year. Other places in England predicted to have strong property markets this year include Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Carlisle and Northhampton.
But areas that used to dominate in terms of soaring house prices now come at the bottom of the list. The weakest postcode of the 120 in Zoopla’s list happens to also among the UK’s priciest.
One reason is that it reckons prices in London’s West Central (WC) area will fall by another 1.8% this year, though at £797,600 it remains head and shoulders above the national average. Properties in the postcode take an average 82 days to shift, with 14% of homes for sale for more than six months, and with just over half of sellers having to lower their wanted price by at least 5% to bag a buyer.
Neighbouring West London – W postcode – is ranked next weakest, followed by East Central London, than South West (SW) London.
When it comes to Wales, Cardiff is the predicted property go-to, helped by the fact that just 9% of homes in the city have been on the market for over six months already.
Northern Ireland has been the hottest market for house price inflation over the past year, with average prices up 6.5%. Zoopla says this is partly due to house prices having rebounded off a low base after lagging behind the rest of the UK over the past decade. Belfast is ranked number 25 out of the national 120 for this year.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Whether you’re buying or selling, local housing market conditions matter more than ever when making housing decisions in 2026. Basing decisions on the value of a home, affordability, demand and selling times in the local area will help sellers and buyers move with greater confidence. Our analysis highlights the areas with the strongest potential for continued growth in sales activity and above-average house price rises in 2026.
“While prospects are strongest in Scotland and Northern England, opportunities exist across the UK where demand and affordability remain well aligned. Price growth is expected to be slower in lower-ranked markets, particularly across parts of Southern England and London, although improving affordability means the outlook in London is more positive than in recent years.
“The characteristics of individual homes matters too and how much demand there exists locally for different types of homes which might perform better than the local market. It is important for serious sellers, speaking to local agents to get tailored insight into local conditions and how to price and market their home for a successful sale in 2026.”
