The Hauscope Index · October 2026 edition
The Asking Gap
Every month we measure the distance between what sellers ask and what the evidence supports, across every postcode area with enough data to be worth publishing. We call that distance the Asking Gap.
Method note. We republished this edition on 2 October. It now leaves out homes where our estimate was too far from the asking price for us to show buyers a figure. That removes 381 of 15,857 homes and moves the national figure from 1.8% to 1.5%.
Our valuation method changed in late August 2026. Editions from before that change and editions after it measure the gap differently, so a difference between them is not a change in the market. We'll say so here when two editions on the same method can be compared.
The spread
Where you are buying matters far more than the market as a whole.
+8.7%
Hereford
a median £29,000 above the evidence
−3.8%
Swindon
a median £6,000 below the evidence
Nationally, most sellers price it about right
That number is small, and we are not going to dress it up. Half of all the homes buyers checked sit within about 1.5% of what the evidence supports. There is no nationwide overpricing epidemic in this data.
The story is the spread. A buyer in Hereford faces a typical asking price +8.7% above the evidence; a buyer in Swindon faces one 3.8% below it. Same month, same method, same country — a gap of 12.5 percentage points between them.
Every area, ranked
All 96 postcode areas with at least 30 properties checked in the last 90 days. “Spread” is the interquartile range in percentage points — how much areas vary internally.
| Area | Gap | Median £ | Spread | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR Hereford | +8.7% | £29,000 | 21.9 | 55 |
| LA Lancaster | +8.6% | £21,500 | 26.3 | 38 |
| DT Dorchester | +8.4% | £34,000 | 27.1 | 73 |
| SA Swansea | +7.9% | £17,000 | 26.2 | 71 |
| HG Harrogate | +7.5% | £38,229 | 19.5 | 44 |
| TA Taunton | +7.1% | £25,936 | 22.5 | 473 |
| BA Bath | +7.0% | £31,764 | 21.1 | 184 |
| YO York | +7.0% | £17,866 | 20.2 | 122 |
| EX Exeter | +6.7% | £22,000 | 21.4 | 229 |
| LN Lincoln | +6.5% | £20,766 | 19.1 | 90 |
| BD Bradford | +6.4% | £17,500 | 20.9 | 44 |
| TQ Torquay | +6.1% | £17,000 | 22.4 | 72 |
| TN Tunbridge Wells | +6.0% | £26,173 | 25.7 | 154 |
| SR Sunderland | +5.8% | £9,644 | 21.9 | 32 |
| SY Shrewsbury | +5.7% | £17,716 | 21.6 | 89 |
| DN Doncaster | +5.4% | £15,751 | 22.6 | 138 |
| TR Truro | +5.4% | £25,000 | 20.9 | 75 |
| MK Milton Keynes | +5.0% | £21,500 | 16.9 | 174 |
| HD Huddersfield | +5.0% | £13,000 | 14.7 | 46 |
| RH Redhill | +4.4% | £21,000 | 18.8 | 139 |
| BH Bournemouth | +4.3% | £16,500 | 19.9 | 162 |
| DA Dartford | +3.9% | £20,000 | 15.2 | 373 |
| BN Brighton | +3.9% | £19,500 | 17.8 | 266 |
| SG Stevenage | +3.9% | £18,334 | 15.4 | 144 |
| NN Northampton | +3.9% | £12,064 | 14.1 | 136 |
| BL Bolton | +3.9% | £11,000 | 23.8 | 38 |
| HP Hemel Hempstead | +3.8% | £20,000 | 21.1 | 111 |
| EN Enfield | +3.8% | £25,000 | 11.7 | 78 |
| GL Gloucester | +3.5% | £11,000 | 20.1 | 150 |
| TF Telford | +3.4% | £11,000 | 16.3 | 61 |
| ST Stoke-on-Trent | +3.3% | £12,879 | 21.7 | 61 |
| WS Walsall | +3.1% | £7,000 | 19.6 | 91 |
| DH Durham | +3.1% | £6,000 | 26.9 | 55 |
| NP Newport | +3.0% | £9,492 | 17.2 | 143 |
| RG Reading | +2.8% | £10,000 | 14.4 | 207 |
| LS Leeds | +2.8% | £6,500 | 16.7 | 188 |
| CT Canterbury | +2.6% | £7,514 | 17.4 | 120 |
| PE Peterborough | +2.5% | £9,000 | 18.1 | 230 |
| RM Romford | +2.3% | £14,854 | 17.7 | 102 |
| NW North West London | +2.2% | £9,336 | 16.6 | 162 |
| DL Darlington | +2.2% | £5,000 | 17.5 | 124 |
| OL Oldham | +2.0% | £3,000 | 19.5 | 47 |
| SE South East London | +1.7% | £8,749 | 18.2 | 541 |
| TW Twickenham | +1.7% | £10,000 | 15.6 | 206 |
| GU Guildford | +1.7% | £7,953 | 19.2 | 192 |
| CH Chester | +1.7% | £4,016 | 14.0 | 124 |
| W West London | +1.5% | £11,115 | 23.0 | 324 |
| OX Oxford | +1.5% | £6,000 | 15.7 | 147 |
| PL Plymouth | +1.5% | £4,495 | 22.2 | 122 |
| DY Dudley | +1.4% | £4,000 | 24.2 | 58 |
| HU Hull | +1.4% | £3,000 | 20.5 | 40 |
| SO Southampton | +1.3% | £5,500 | 16.9 | 358 |
| SL Slough | +1.2% | £9,000 | 15.2 | 68 |
| SK Stockport | +1.1% | £5,000 | 15.9 | 274 |
| CB Cambridge | +1.1% | £5,000 | 13.1 | 215 |
| HA Harrow | +1.1% | £9,000 | 11.2 | 83 |
| IG Ilford | +1.1% | £5,000 | 14.3 | 38 |
| SW South West London | +0.9% | £5,302 | 20.5 | 440 |
| TS Cleveland | +0.9% | £1,000 | 20.3 | 81 |
| CV Coventry | +0.8% | £2,000 | 16.4 | 224 |
| B Birmingham | +0.7% | £2,000 | 15.9 | 327 |
| BR Bromley | +0.7% | £5,000 | 17.0 | 183 |
| PO Portsmouth | +0.7% | £2,000 | 14.6 | 151 |
| AL St Albans | +0.7% | £5,000 | 14.9 | 104 |
| SS Southend-on-Sea | +0.7% | £3,000 | 16.2 | 89 |
| WD Watford | +0.7% | £5,000 | 16.0 | 52 |
| BS Bristol | +0.6% | £1,926 | 15.9 | 571 |
| NE Newcastle upon Tyne | +0.6% | £1,722 | 18.3 | 230 |
| CM Chelmsford | +0.4% | £2,500 | 18.1 | 144 |
| LL Llandudno | +0.3% | £1,000 | 22.4 | 131 |
| WF Wakefield | +0.3% | £500 | 13.2 | 102 |
| WR Worcester | +0.3% | £873 | 11.2 | 97 |
| NG Nottingham | +0.1% | £377 | 18.1 | 402 |
| N North London | 0.0% | £0 | 15.6 | 346 |
| LE Leicester | 0.0% | £0 | 19.8 | 187 |
| CO Colchester | 0.0% | £28 | 21.8 | 166 |
| WA Warrington | 0.0% | £0 | 19.7 | 141 |
| WN Wigan | 0.0% | £0 | 19.7 | 57 |
| DE Derby | −0.3% | −£1,000 | 13.6 | 223 |
| SP Salisbury | −0.3% | −£1,000 | 19.7 | 54 |
| IP Ipswich | −0.4% | −£1,000 | 17.8 | 213 |
| UB Uxbridge | −0.5% | −£2,000 | 13.2 | 45 |
| PR Preston | −0.6% | −£1,275 | 16.6 | 127 |
| SM Sutton | −0.6% | −£4,089 | 11.0 | 120 |
| CF Cardiff | −0.7% | −£1,500 | 14.8 | 252 |
| E East London | −0.9% | −£5,000 | 15.6 | 364 |
| ME Medway | −1.2% | −£4,131 | 14.0 | 124 |
| L Liverpool | −1.4% | −£2,908 | 13.3 | 136 |
| CW Crewe | −1.4% | −£4,000 | 21.6 | 91 |
| M Manchester | −1.5% | −£3,500 | 14.6 | 238 |
| KT Kingston upon Thames | −1.5% | −£10,000 | 12.8 | 235 |
| S Sheffield | −1.5% | −£3,500 | 19.2 | 128 |
| CR Croydon | −1.7% | −£10,000 | 11.8 | 204 |
| NR Norwich | −2.3% | −£6,500 | 15.2 | 176 |
| LU Luton | −2.7% | −£10,000 | 16.6 | 37 |
| SN Swindon | −3.8% | −£6,000 | 10.7 | 185 |
Homes checked since 26 August 2026, all on our current method
The +1.5% above covers every home checked from July to September, across a change to our valuation method on 26 August; the figures below use only the homes checked since that change, so every home in them is measured the same way.
+3.4%, £12,000, across 7,862 homes
| Where | Gap | Median £ | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire and The Humber | +5.7% | £14,633 | 422 |
| South West | +5.6% | £17,359 | 1,198 |
| Wales | +4.6% | £11,985 | 327 |
| West Midlands | +4.0% | £13,000 | 595 |
| South East | +3.8% | £16,393 | 1,242 |
| East Midlands | +3.6% | £10,814 | 657 |
| North East | +3.3% | £5,500 | 214 |
| London | +2.5% | £15,000 | 1,803 |
| East of England | +1.7% | £7,000 | 849 |
| North West | +1.3% | £2,991 | 550 |
5 homes' postcodes couldn’t be placed in a region; they count in the national figure.
| Where | Gap | Median £ | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TQ Torquay | +16.5% | £40,624 | 34 |
| YO York | +11.8% | £20,062 | 58 |
| TA Taunton | +10.0% | £30,047 | 264 |
| BH Bournemouth | +9.9% | £33,000 | 79 |
| DT Dorchester | +9.5% | £34,000 | 47 |
| EX Exeter | +9.2% | £33,500 | 104 |
| HR Hereford | +9.0% | £31,000 | 36 |
| SA Swansea | +8.8% | £20,938 | 46 |
| DN Doncaster | +8.5% | £22,000 | 99 |
| SP Salisbury | +8.2% | £32,000 | 31 |
| BN Brighton | +8.0% | £31,500 | 112 |
| BA Bath | +7.5% | £25,264 | 101 |
| TN Tunbridge Wells | +7.3% | £29,000 | 83 |
| LN Lincoln | +7.1% | £25,019 | 59 |
| NN Northampton | +7.0% | £24,769 | 77 |
| HP Hemel Hempstead | +7.0% | £35,000 | 71 |
| SL Slough | +6.7% | £29,810 | 31 |
| DA Dartford | +6.3% | £32,707 | 168 |
| LS Leeds | +6.1% | £13,500 | 92 |
| MK Milton Keynes | +6.1% | £26,151 | 91 |
| GL Gloucester | +5.6% | £15,000 | 98 |
| DL Darlington | +5.6% | £10,000 | 43 |
| RH Redhill | +5.3% | £23,917 | 63 |
| WS Walsall | +5.3% | £15,000 | 57 |
| SY Shrewsbury | +5.3% | £12,195 | 53 |
| SG Stevenage | +4.9% | £27,475 | 80 |
| RM Romford | +4.8% | £25,000 | 59 |
| NP Newport | +4.7% | £13,468 | 104 |
| RG Reading | +4.6% | £17,000 | 121 |
| LL Llandudno | +4.4% | £7,218 | 51 |
| GU Guildford | +4.2% | £26,571 | 89 |
| NW North West London | +4.2% | £21,000 | 80 |
| CV Coventry | +4.1% | £15,978 | 127 |
| B Birmingham | +4.0% | £14,000 | 161 |
| SK Stockport | +4.0% | £20,000 | 108 |
| CF Cardiff | +4.0% | £10,500 | 108 |
| PE Peterborough | +3.8% | £12,967 | 135 |
| SO Southampton | +3.7% | £15,000 | 178 |
| CM Chelmsford | +3.3% | £13,168 | 63 |
| L Liverpool | +3.3% | £7,550 | 42 |
| E East London | +3.2% | £18,171 | 191 |
| CB Cambridge | +3.2% | £15,000 | 117 |
| CT Canterbury | +3.2% | £8,835 | 84 |
| BR Bromley | +3.1% | £18,500 | 88 |
| PO Portsmouth | +3.1% | £8,808 | 82 |
| W West London | +2.3% | £20,000 | 161 |
| OX Oxford | +2.3% | £7,752 | 84 |
| PL Plymouth | +2.3% | £10,804 | 53 |
| NG Nottingham | +2.2% | £6,000 | 209 |
| SE South East London | +2.1% | £10,000 | 387 |
| SS Southend-on-Sea | +2.1% | £6,000 | 34 |
| BS Bristol | +2.0% | £5,215 | 312 |
| TF Telford | +1.9% | £6,500 | 36 |
| PR Preston | +1.8% | £3,619 | 62 |
| TW Twickenham | +1.7% | £10,000 | 97 |
| NE Newcastle upon Tyne | +1.6% | £3,000 | 117 |
| N North London | +1.5% | £7,077 | 141 |
| LE Leicester | +1.5% | £5,209 | 89 |
| CO Colchester | +1.4% | £5,346 | 115 |
| WR Worcester | +1.4% | £4,908 | 54 |
| DE Derby | +1.2% | £4,000 | 103 |
| ME Medway | +1.1% | £4,000 | 67 |
| S Sheffield | +1.1% | £5,000 | 53 |
| SW South West London | +1.0% | £7,802 | 248 |
| IP Ipswich | +0.9% | £2,654 | 138 |
| CR Croydon | +0.2% | £1,000 | 91 |
| M Manchester | +0.1% | £254 | 90 |
| WF Wakefield | +0.1% | £294 | 60 |
| SM Sutton | +0.1% | £406 | 43 |
| WA Warrington | −0.8% | −£3,343 | 62 |
| CH Chester | −1.0% | −£3,129 | 44 |
| DH Durham | −1.0% | −£2,225 | 41 |
| WD Watford | −1.5% | −£6,702 | 36 |
| HA Harrow | −1.6% | −£7,178 | 30 |
| CW Crewe | −2.3% | −£7,500 | 54 |
| KT Kingston upon Thames | −2.8% | −£25,000 | 71 |
| NR Norwich | −2.9% | −£8,000 | 82 |
| SN Swindon | −3.1% | −£7,272 | 62 |
| AL St Albans | −3.9% | −£17,691 | 30 |
What this measures — and what it doesn’t
These are homes real buyers chose to check on Hauscope, not a random sample of the market. Buyers plausibly lean towards listings they already suspected were priced high, which would over-represent those homes and push the measured gap up. The true whole-market gap is likely smaller than the Index shows.
Fair value here is an evidence-based estimate built from comparable sold prices, local sold-price history and floor-area data. It is not a RICS surveyor valuation, and it is not a prediction of what a home will sell for.
The Index does not track what homes eventually sold for. A gap to asking price is not proof a home is overpriced — only that its asking price sits above the evidence we can see. England & Wales only: we hold no Scottish or Northern Irish sold-price data, so we publish nothing for those markets.
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