Record Low for Property Sales in East Sussex
- House prices in East Sussex are 1.5% lower than one year before.
- Land Registry data shows sales volume has never, on record, been lower.
- New builds were up 10% despite pre-existing homes up 0%, YoY to April.
- Wealden and Lewes are closest to breaking their record highs at -6% and -7%.
- Property prices in East Sussex are currently 9% behind the peak of October 2022.
- Wealden remains the county's most expensive district to buy a home, 60% more costly than Hastings.
- Healthfield and Waldron have the lowest crime rate.
- Hastings has the greatest 10-year property price growth. Year-on-year, it's Wealden.
- Across the South East, house prices are expected to increase 3% through 2025, and 16% over the 5 years to 2029 (Savills).
Are house prices going up in East Sussex?
Average house prices across East Sussex have fallen 1.5% since the same time last year.
Average house prices in East Sussex peaked in October 2022 at £351,228 and are now 9% below that peak. It is unlikely that any East Sussex district will break their highest price record this year.
This is a pattern seen across many areas within commuter distance of London, which saw unsustainable price growth in the aftermath of the pandemic, as city-dwellers sought more space and access to the outdoors. The relative fall is more of a rebalance to early 2022 levels, so more natural growth will likely follow through 2026.
Worst volume of property sales on record for East Sussex
Only 212 property sales went through in the whole of East Sussex in April. For context, a 'normal' month would be 900 - 1,000. This was caused by the Stamp Duty Change, as everyone rushed to complete their purchases before the end of March, leaving a vacuum in April.
However, this data is published by the Land Registry with a 3 - 4 month delay. As we predicted, sales have been highly active across the country this summer, and we expect the data to reflect this as it catches up.
Rising inflation and affordability challenges will continue to limit movement in the property market.
Will there be a UK recession in 2025?
The Quarterly Economic Forecast (QEF) predicts the UK economy will grow by 1.3% in 2025 and 1.5% in 2026. Source: British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
This, however, is well below the pre-pandemic average. NEISR estimate that Britain's poorest households will not recover fully until 2027.
How does the Bank of England affect the West Sussex Housing Market?
Borrowing has been slowly returning to a more affordable level. The August cut to 4.00% means that mortgage rates are already lower, and the base rate may fall further in September as long as inflation stays under control.
Prices steadily increase as borrowing costs fall, making purchases more affordable. Oxford Economics predicts the base rate will fall to 2.5% in 2027.
Are you thinking of buying or selling a property in East Sussex?
Lewes has the most active relative property market YoY
Sales volume across East Sussex is -64% year-on-year (YoY), or -67% versus pre-COVID levels (April 2025 v April 2019). Lewes property sales are faring slightly better at 39% YoY or 54% vs 2019. Hastings has seen the most marked drop at -77% YoY or 80% vs 2019.
The drop across the county is slightly worse than the national average, which is down by 60% overall.
Are houses in Cambridgeshire Expensive?
Average property prices in the county vary vastly by district, from Hastings (£248,259) to Wealden (£398,124).
Average house prices in Wealden are 25% more expensive than the average for East Sussex, 39% more expensive than England and Wales, and 60% higher than the cheapest district, Hastings.
Where is the cheapest place to buy in East Sussex?
The most affordable average homes of every type are in Hastings, followed by Eastbourne.
While Wealden is the most expensive overall, this is led by a larger proportion of expensive, detached homes. The picture changes by property type; if you're looking at a semi, Wealden (£357,002) is much cheaper than Rother (£359,102) and Lewes (£402,043). On a Terrace or a Flat, Lewes is the most expensive again, at £326,672, or £205,385.
Long-term East Sussex property market investment
Average property prices in Hastings also have the strongest 10-year price growth at +58%, despite having -2% growth versus last year.
Eastbourne property prices have the weakest Year-on-Year growth, and 10-year price growth.
New homes in East Sussex are now 40% more expensive than existing properties
New houses cost more. However, the gap has broken records for two consecutive months when it reached 40% in March and 45% in April. More recent data is likely to show an ever steeper divide, as figures are released by the Land Registry.
Interestingly, other regions are being affected to greater extremes, with new builds in the North East an eye-watering 118% dearer than existing homes.
The average cost of a new build in East Sussex soared by 10% in 12 months.
This unprecedented increase is likely caused by increased building costs, developers building larger homes for greater profit margins, and the squeeze on available development land.
If you exclude newly-built properties, you can see that apart from a clear period of growth last summer, house prices in East Sussex are on an overall decline since their peak in October 2022.
House prices may fall slightly over the winter before they begin to climb again, but if we see a return to the levels of growth predicted by Savills, winter 2025 is the perfect time to buy at the 'bottom' of the curve.
Where are the safest places to live in East Sussex?
The ten safest towns in East Sussex are shown in the graph below, with the lowest crime rate in Heathfield and Waldron, surrounded by the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Crime rates will affect your insurance premiums and potential rental yield and may affect your peaceful enjoyment of the property.
Should I buy a house in East Sussex?
East Sussex is a top choice for homeowners
- Commuter proximity to London and Gatwick Airport.
- Good schools and universities.
- Stunning coastline.
- South Downs National Park & High Weald National Landscape.
- Vibrant towns.
- Brighton's cultural riches.
- Excellent transport links.
- 3-5% rental yields.
- Employment opportunities in the Human health and social work activities industry; Business & Public Services; Science, Research, Engineering and Technology; and more.
The cost of borrowing has fallen for the fifth time in August, and South Essex property prices have rebalanced to pre-COVID levels. If you can afford to buy now and get on the ladder before house prices start to increase again, you'll likely be able to switch to an even more affordable mortgage rate in 2027; by this point, the value should have risen a few per cent, and you'll have built some equity by making your mortgage payments.
Across the South East, house prices are expected to increase by 16% through 2025 to 2029
SavillsIf you are renting and can afford to buy at the current rate of interest, this may be a much more desirable option than saving for a bigger deposit, as rents are still rising, whereas mortgage rates are likely to fall.
However, if you are stretching your budget to buy or upsize, consider saving a bit longer or opting for a more affordable borough. If the base rate rises again, you may be unable to keep up with your monthly repayments when your fixed rate ends.
Worse yet, if prices fall, you could end up in negative equity, owing more money than your home is worth. Buying a home with a mortgage always comes with risks. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
If you are ready to buy a house in South Essex or the surrounding area, we can handle your purchase with a dedicated SAM Conveyancing Consultant to manage your transaction alongside one of our hand-selected panel solicitors.
We're in a Buyer's Market, and this perfect "buyer's" storm will go on strong throughout the summer.
Andrew Boast FMAAT MIC | CEO and Author | SAM ConveyancingSources: Latest data from - Gov.UK, Bank of England, UK House Price Index, Savills.
Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
Without Killing Anyone
This book could be the difference between every mover’s dream, buying and moving into your new home stress free, or, stress, missed deadlines, legal disasters, building defects, and possibly the collapse of the whole transaction. (Costing you a small fortune, a head full of grey hairs, and, driving you to threaten the life of your solicitor, lender, co-owners, family, partner, or some combination of all five).
With more than two decades’ experience in the conveyancing sector and over 50,000 successful client moves under his belt, Andrew shares insider tips and advice to empower you as a buyer, giving you the tools to make the best decisions for your circumstances and ease the chaos.
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