19th October 2026
Rightmove figures reveal a divided housing market, with Scotland recording a high rate of successful sales while buyers elsewhere have more choice and sellers face tougher competition.
Britain's housing market is showing two very different sides. Across the UK, sellers are facing growing competition from other properties on the market, while in Scotland homes are proving much more likely to find a buyer.
The latest figures from property website Rightmove suggest that September brought some improvement in asking prices after a difficult summer. However, the recovery is modest, and the wider picture remains challenging for both buyers and sellers.
Rightmove reported that the average asking price of a newly listed home rose by 0.7% in September, an increase of £2,441 to £367,440. It was the first monthly rise since May. Nevertheless, asking prices remained 0.8% lower than a year earlier and 2.3% below their level at the beginning of the summer.
More homes mean more competition
One of the biggest pressures facing sellers is the number of properties available.
Rightmove reported that the supply of homes for sale had reached a 12-year high for this time of year. At the same time, enquiries from prospective buyers were 9% lower than a year earlier.
That combination makes it harder for sellers to achieve the price they originally hoped for. Buyers have more properties to compare, and those who need a mortgage must consider the continuing cost of borrowing.
The average two-year fixed mortgage rate had risen to 5.29% in September, according to Rightmove, up from 5.09% the previous month.
For households already struggling with higher living costs, even a relatively small change in mortgage rates can affect how much they can afford to borrow.
The result is a market in which sellers increasingly need to be realistic about their asking prices. A property priced too ambitiously may remain unsold while buyers turn their attention to better-value alternatives.
September's modest recovery in asking prices should therefore not be mistaken for a return to the stronger conditions experienced during the housing boom of recent years.
tells a different story
The Scottish market stands out in Rightmove's figures.
Around 91% of homes listed for sale in Scotland were finding a buyer, compared with approximately 61% across Great Britain. In London, the proportion was just 42%.
The figures suggest that sellers in Scotland have a much better chance of securing a buyer than those in some other parts of the country.
Rightmove also reported that the average time taken to find a buyer in Scotland was 33 days in September. The equivalent figure for Great Britain was 67 days, while London averaged 78 days.
These figures put Scotland among the strongest-performing parts of the market for speed and the likelihood of a successful sale.
However, there is an important qualification. Rightmove's figures measure how quickly properties find buyers and how many listings proceed towards a sale. They do not necessarily mean that every Scottish property sells at its asking price, or that every part of Scotland is experiencing the same demand.
Scotland also has a different system of buying and selling homes, including the use of formal offers and the conclusion of missives. This makes direct comparisons with England and Wales more complicated.
What does this mean for house prices?
The Scottish figures provide grounds for cautious optimism, but they should not be interpreted as proof that house prices will continue rising rapidly.
Rightmove's September data put the average asking price of a newly listed Scottish property at £207,426, up 3.8% on the month and 4.2% on the year.
That is a stronger performance than the UK-wide annual figure. Yet asking prices are not the same as completed sale prices, and monthly movements can be affected by the type of properties coming onto the market.
The wider economic outlook also matters. Mortgage costs, household finances, employment prospects and confidence all influence whether people decide to move.
If borrowing remains expensive and economic uncertainty persists, some buyers may postpone a purchase. Sellers who need to move could then find themselves having to negotiate.
For buyers, a larger selection of properties can create opportunities to compare prices and negotiate more confidently. But affordability remains the decisive issue. A lower asking price does not automatically make a property affordable if mortgage repayments are still high.
What about Caithness and the Highlands?
For Caithness, the national and Scottish figures provide useful context, but they cannot tell the whole local story.
A market in Wick or Thurso may behave differently from one in Edinburgh, Glasgow or the Central Belt. Local employment, transport links, the availability of suitable housing and the number of people looking to move into or out of an area can all influence demand.
In rural areas, the market can also be particularly sensitive to the availability of individual properties. A home in good condition and priced sensibly may attract interest quickly, while another requiring substantial repairs or modernisation could take much longer to sell.
The number of days a property takes to find a buyer is therefore only one part of the picture. The final selling price, the number of offers received and the amount of time needed to complete the transaction are also important.
For anyone considering selling in Caithness, the practical lesson is to look carefully at comparable local sales rather than relying on national averages. For prospective buyers, the figures are a reminder that conditions vary considerably from one area to another.
A market that rewards realism
The latest Rightmove figures point to a housing market that is recovering unevenly rather than moving decisively in one direction.
Sellers across Britain face a large supply of competing properties and buyers who are more cautious about spending. Scotland appears to be in a stronger position, with a much higher proportion of homes finding buyers and shorter average times to secure a sale.
But a successful sale and a strong sale price are not necessarily the same thing.
For buyers, the current market may offer more choice and opportunities to negotiate. For sellers, accurate pricing and a property in good condition may make the difference between attracting an offer and remaining on the market for months.
The central message is straightforward: the housing market is not moving as one national market. Location, affordability and realistic pricing are increasingly determining who sells, how quickly they sell and what price they achieve.
Source
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/house-price-index/