Report · updated 22 October 2026
UK new build market report 2026
The headline
In 2026 a new build costs about a third more than a second-hand home, supply in England is falling further behind its target, and 15% of new homes for sale on Earlybird come with an incentive.
- Average UK new build price, July 2025 to June 2026
- £351,135
- Premium over a second-hand home
- +32.1%
- Homes added in England, 2024-25
- 208,600
- Buyers who would recommend their builder
- 93%
Covers official data to June 2026 and Earlybird listings on 22 October 2026.
Key findings
- 1New builds cost about a third more than second-hand homes: £351,135 against £265,852 across the UK. The gap ranges from +83.3% in the North East to -10.4% in London.
- 2Supply fell again. England added 208,600 homes in 2024-25, 5.8% fewer than the year before and 56% of its 370,406 a year target. Only 39 of 291 councils met theirs.
- 3Buyers have room to negotiate. 15% of new build homes on Earlybird advertise an incentive and 24.6% have been reduced. Stamp duty paid is the most common offer.
- 4The biggest builders sold more homes at higher prices, with operating margins of 14.3% and 10.9% at Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey: roughly 11p to 14p of profit in every pound of sales.
- 5Most buyers are happy with their builder. 93% would recommend theirs to a friend, and 49 builders earned an HBF 5-star rating for 2026.
- 6Running costs need checking. The CMA found around 80% of homes sold by the biggest builders came with estate management charges, so ask what you will pay each year before you reserve.
1. Prices: a new build still costs about a third more
Over the year to June 2026, new builds in the UK sold for £351,135 on average, against £265,852 for a second-hand home. The gap is widest in the north of England and smallest in the south. London is the one region where new builds sold for less, because most London new builds are flats.
Part of the premium is size and type: new homes are more often detached and larger than the average home sold. Every council area is in the new build premium by council.
- North East+83.3%
- East Midlands+50.4%
- Yorkshire and The Humber+49.1%
- West Midlands+36.1%
- North West+31.7%
- East of England+31.2%
- South East+29.8%
- South West+29.5%
- London-10.4%
2. Supply: falling for the third year running
England added 208,600 homes in 2024-25, down 5.8% on the year before and 56% of the 370,406 a year that the December 2024 housing targets ask for. Only 39 of 291 councils met their own target.
See how your council compares in housing targets vs homes built.
- 2020-21217,754
- 2021-22234,462
- 2022-23234,292
- 2023-24221,409
- 2024-25208,600
3. Incentives and price cuts: buyers have room to negotiate
Of the 301 new build homes for sale on Earlybird, 15% advertise an incentive and 24.6% have had their asking price cut. The typical asking price is £399,950.
The detail is in the incentives tracker, price reductions and asking prices reports.
- Stamp duty paid6.3%
- Deposit contribution3.7%
- Part exchange3%
- Legal fees paid1.3%
- Upgrades included0.3%
4. The big builders: more homes, modest margins
| Housebuilder | Homes completed | Average selling price | Operating margin | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persimmon | 11,905 | £278,203 | 14.3% | 10 March 2026 |
| Taylor Wimpey | 10,614 | £335,000 | 10.9% | 5 March 2026 |
Where does the money from a new home go? Read how new build prices are set.
5. Quality and the buyer experience
In the HBF's 2026 survey, 93% of new build buyers said they would recommend their builder to a friend, 90% were satisfied with the quality of their home, and 92% would buy a new build again. 49 builders earned a 5-star rating.
The Competition and Markets Authority's 2024 market study found that about 80% of homes sold by the 11 biggest builders in 2021 to 2022 came with estate management charges, and that buyers report more snags than they used to. Our guide to leasehold and estate charges explains what to check.
See which developers with homes on Earlybird hold a 5-star rating on top new build developers.
How this report is made
- Prices are from the UK House Price Index, averaged over July 2025 to June 2026. See the new build premium report for how they are worked out.
- Supply is net additional dwellings from MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25 provisional), against the indicative local housing need figures published in December 2024.
- Buyer satisfaction is from the Home Builders Federation's National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey and Star Ratings 2026, which cover buyers who moved in from October 2024 to September 2025.
- Housebuilder figures are from each company's published full year results for 2025. Taylor Wimpey's average selling price is its blended UK figure, rounded to the nearest thousand in its results.
- Incentives, reductions and asking prices are from the 301 new build homes listed on Earlybird on 22 October 2026. Earlybird lists homes in some regions of England only.
- Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, and public sector information, both licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sources
Use these figures
You are welcome to quote, chart or republish these figures, including in news stories and research. Please credit Earlybird and link to this page. The figures are published under CC BY 4.0.
Earlybird (2026). UK new build market report 2026. Updated 22 October 2026. https://earlybirdhomes.co.uk/reports/uk-new-build-market-report-2026
Writing about new homes and need something else? Email team@earlybirdhomes.co.uk.
More reports
New build incentives tracker
How many new build homes come with stamp duty paid, a deposit contribution, part exchange or another offer, by region and developer.
Read the reportFrom Earlybird listingsNew build price reductions
The share of new build homes for sale that have had their asking price cut, by region, home type and size.
Read the reportFrom Earlybird listingsNew build asking prices by region
Typical asking prices for new build homes for sale, by region, number of bedrooms and type of home.
Read the reportFor developers
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