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New build premium by region: how much more do new-build homes cost than existing homes?

The new build premium by region in 2025, from UK House Price Index data: average new-build and existing prices, and what the gap does and does not show.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 8

What we measured

General information, not advice. The UK House Price Index (UK HPI), published by HM Land Registry, splits average prices into new and existing homes. We took the full data file for August 2026 and worked out the sales-weighted average price for new and existing homes across the twelve months of 2025, for each English region, Wales and Scotland. The premium is the new-build average divided by the existing average, minus one. The latest months in the file have very few new-build sales behind them and are provisional, so we used the last complete calendar year instead.

Part 2 of 8

The premium by region, 2025

Region	New-build average	Existing average	Premium
England	£371,316	£286,371	29.7%
North East	£279,928	£154,989	80.6%
North West	£273,165	£210,303	29.9%
Yorkshire and The Humber	£294,712	£200,652	46.9%
East Midlands	£344,931	£233,847	47.5%
West Midlands	£245,285	£230,691	6.3%
East of England	£427,035	£330,803	29.1%
London	£509,529	£563,593	9.6% lower
South East	£480,565	£375,926	27.8%
South West	£379,154	£298,340	27.1%
Wales	£316,928	£207,129	53.0%
Scotland	£304,334	£178,220	70.8%

Source: UK HPI full file, August 2026 release, HM Land Registry and ONS. Weighted by monthly sales, January to December 2025. Northern Ireland has no new and existing split for 2025 in the file.

Part 3 of 8

How to read the gap

The premium is not the same as paying more for the same home. The two averages describe different groups of homes, and the UK HPI figures are averages, not like-for-like comparisons. Three things push them apart:

Mix of homes. New-build sales may include a different balance of houses and flats, sizes and locations from existing sales. London is the clearest case: our table shows new builds averaging less than existing homes, which is consistent with a different mix in the capital, though the file itself does not say why.
Small samples. The North East's 81% rests on 3,643 new-build sales across the year, against 36,483 existing sales. The West Midlands has only 1,329 new-build sales in the file, against 28,494 existing. Treat the regional figures as indications, not precise measures.
Provisional new-build data. The GOV.UK UK HPI collection page says the process takes longer for new builds than for existing builds, and that estimates for new build properties may be less representative.

Part 4 of 8

Does the premium disappear after resale?

The UK HPI does not follow individual homes, so it cannot tell you what happens when a particular new build is resold. It compares what new and existing homes sell for in the same period. For a resale view of a specific street, use sold prices. Our sold prices tool shows what neighbouring homes actually achieved, and the Land Registry records each sale. Do not assume that a premium paid at first sale will or will not be recovered; the data here does not show it either way.

Part 5 of 8

What a new-build price may include

We did not find a source in the files we read that itemises what sits inside a new-build price, so we do not put a figure on it. In practice buyers should ask the developer what is included, such as fittings, parking or incentives, and compare it with the asking prices of existing homes nearby. A solicitor will check the paperwork, and our checks before buying a house lists what to look at.

Part 6 of 8

Where this fits with other price pages

Our page on where house prices are falling uses the same UK HPI source for local authority movements over twelve months. If you are weighing a new build against a home at auction, the glossary entry on the modern method of auction explains one route some developers and sellers use.

Part 7 of 8

Reading the pounds as well as the percentage

The percentage hides the cash gap. In England the new-build average was £84,945 above the existing average. The biggest cash gap was in Scotland, at £126,114, followed by the North East (£124,938) and the East Midlands (£111,084); in Wales it was £109,799. A smaller percentage can still be a large sum in a dearer region, so look at both.

Part 8 of 8

Using the numbers

If you are comparing, take the average for your region, then replace it with local evidence: three or four sold prices for similar homes, on similar streets, in the same year. The regional premium is a starting point for a question, not a price for a house. Stamp duty applies to new builds as to other homes, so cost the purchase with our stamp duty calculator.

This page is general information, not advice.

Our take

Compare with the street, not the regional average

Our view: the regional premium is a question to ask, not a price. In 2025 new builds averaged 29.7% more than existing homes in England, from 6.3% in the West Midlands to 80.6% in the North East, but they are different mixes of homes and some regions rest on small samples. The common mistake is assuming the premium will, or will not, survive resale.

What Your Property Check adds: our free house valuation gives an honest value range from real HM Land Registry sold prices in your postcode, with the comparable sales and the working shown, and OfferCheck covers the address risks before you offer.

Check my value

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

How much more do new builds cost?

In England the average new-build price in 2025 was £371,316 against £286,371 for existing homes in the UK HPI, a premium of about 30%. The gap differs by region, and the averages describe different mixes of homes.

Where is the new build premium biggest?

In our 2025 calculation the North East shows the largest gap at about 81%, then Scotland at about 71% and Wales at about 53%. These rest on fewer new-build sales than the larger regions, so they are less precise.

Is a new build cheaper than an existing home anywhere?

In our 2025 figures, London is the one region where the new-build average (£509,529) was below the existing average (£563,593). The UK HPI does not explain why, but the mix of homes sold is likely to differ.

Does the premium vanish after resale?

The UK HPI cannot say, because it does not track individual homes through resale. Check sold prices for similar homes on the street you are considering rather than relying on a regional average.

Why did you use 2025 rather than the latest month?

The latest months in the UK HPI file have very few new-build sales and are provisional. GOV.UK says new-build estimates may be less representative, so we used the last full calendar year.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.