Real estate website Rightmove said UK housing listings fell 1.8% month-on-month in December due to uncertainty about the government's tax plan. According to the online real estate platform, the drop brought the listing price down to £358,128, causing the listing price to drop 0.6% at the end of the year compared to December 2024. Housing prices and transaction activity in the second half of this year were curtailed by uncertainty and concerns about a possible increase in real estate taxes before the UK government's budget plan is introduced. The budget plan was announced at the end of November. The UK budget includes a high-value council tax surcharge, which will take effect from April 2028 and applies to homes worth £2 million or more in England. From April 2027, the tax rate on rental income will also be raised by 2 percentage points. Rightmove said it is currently expected that there will be a bigger rebound than before after Christmas because buyers who delay buying homes before the budget is announced are likely to join the boom in traditional post-holiday home buying activity.

Real estate website Rightmove said UK housing listings fell 1.8% month-on-month in December due to uncertainty about the government's tax plan. According to the online real estate platform, the drop brought the listing price down to £358,128, causing the listing price to drop 0.6% at the end of the year compared to December 2024. Housing prices and transaction activity in the second half of this year were curtailed by uncertainty and concerns about a possible increase in real estate taxes before the UK government's budget plan is introduced. The budget plan was announced at the end of November. The UK budget includes a high-value council tax surcharge, which will take effect from April 2028 and applies to homes worth £2 million or more in England. From April 2027, the tax rate on rental income will also be raised by 2 percentage points. Rightmove said it is currently expected that there will be a bigger rebound than before after Christmas because buyers who delay buying homes before the budget is announced are likely to join the boom in traditional post-holiday home buying activity.