Autumn 2026
Issue 20
Horton and Garton Estate Agents
In this edition of the West London Property News, we look back on the summer market where new listings and sales agreed across our offices rose, even as the wider local market contracted. We also look at how long sales are taking to progress, a steadier lettings market and what home movers can expect as the Autumn Budget approaches.
A more cautious market
The summer months usually bring a seasonal pause before the market picks up again in autumn. This year has not followed the usual pattern, and with the Autumn Budget approaching, many home movers are taking more time over their decisions. Nationwide reported annual house price growth of 0.8% in September: modest, but still positive.
There are encouraging signs. Rightmove recorded a 0.7% rise in asking prices in September, the first monthly increase since May. With the number of homes for sale at a 12 year high, buyers have more choice than they have had for some time. In that kind of market, homes that are priced realistically from the outset are the ones that stand out.
This is a market that is more considered rather than stalled. Buyers have choice and are taking their time, so local knowledge counts for more when every decision is being weighed carefully. As our own figures below show, that is where we have seen the difference.
John Horton, Owner and Director
Since our summer edition, borrowing costs have increased. According to Rightmove’s October data, the average two-year fixed mortgage rate has reached 5.55%, compared with 5.29% in September. The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% in September, although three of its nine policymakers voted for a rise. Much of today’s caution reflects buyers weighing up where rates go next. A clearer picture after the Budget may help bring some of them back to the market.
HM Land Registry figures trail what is happening on the ground, but they are useful for building a picture over time. They show average London prices fell 3.3% in the 12 months to July, and flats were the only property type to see prices fall nationally.
SALES
A larger share of a smaller market
Locally, our own figures tell a more positive story than the national headlines. West London is a market in its own right, and London rarely moves in step with the rest of the country.
The wider picture is worth keeping in mind, but conditions here have little in common with those in Birmingham or Manchester for example, so local data is a far better guide when making plans than any national headline.
According to Rightmove sale agreed data, we now hold the largest share of sales agreed in Hammersmith, at 11.9%, and the second largest in Chiswick, at 10.7%. That position gives us a broad, first-hand view of how the local market is really performing.
In a more challenging market, local knowledge and experience matter more than ever, and home movers understandably look for an agent who has guided clients through similar conditions before.
Ashley Clements, Managing Director.
Through June, July and August, across our Chiswick and Hammersmith offices, sales agreed rose 43% year on year, while the number of sales agreed across the local market as a whole fell 12%.
Chiswick led the way, with sales agreed up 75%. New listings followed the same pattern: ours rose 35%, while new listings across the local market fell 6%, according to Rightmove data.
Careful buyers, closer scrutiny
Buyers are still moving, but they are doing their homework before committing. Many are weighing today’s costs alongside their plans for the next few years. That care continues after an offer is agreed, with surveys and leases checked closely.
Across our own completed sales in 2026, the average time from agreeing a sale to exchanging contracts was around 13 weeks in Chiswick (W4), compared with around 15 weeks last year. Across W6 and W12, the average remained steady at 16 weeks. Flats took longer than houses in both areas, averaging around 14 weeks in W4 and 17 weeks across W6 and W12.
For sellers, and flat owners in particular, the lesson is to prepare early, ideally before your home is listed, as buyers are now asking questions from the outset. Having lease details, service charge accounts and management information ready can take weeks off the process and help protect the agreed price.
Knowing what buyers and their solicitors will ask for and having it ready in advance can keep a sale on track.
LETTINGS
A steadier rental market
The lettings market has settled into a stable phase. Most landlords who wanted to sell did so before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, and those who remain are, for the most part, committed to the sector.
We agreed 15% more lets in July, August and September than in the previous three months, while new tenant registrations rose 4% over the same period. Tenant demand has held steady, and many of the patterns we track, such as how many registrations turn into offers, remain much as they were before the Renters’ Rights Act reforms came into force in May.
The slower sales market has also brought a small increase in rental stock. For the first time in several years, some owners who cannot achieve their desired sale price are choosing to let their house or flat instead, and most expect it to be years rather than months before they revisit selling.
The Act has changed the law, but human behavior has largely stayed the same. Landlords still want to keep good tenants for as long as possible, and nobody wants the cost and disruption of moving home. Moves tend to happen when the need is greatest, and less often simply out of choice.
Aggie Tukendorf, Lettings Director.
Across the capital, Rightmove reported a new record average advertised rent of £2,791 a month in the second quarter, up 2.9% year on year. London also has the closest balance between supply and demand of any region, at an average of eight enquiries per rental home, which supports well priced, well-presented properties letting without long void periods.
REGULATORY UPDATE
The Renters’ Rights Act: What comes next?
Five months on from the main tenancy reforms of 1 May, the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act now has firm dates. The government has confirmed that its new national landlord register, “Register your rental property”, will open on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and rolling out across England region by region.
For London landlords, registration opens on 15 July 2027, with a deadline of 14 October 2027. Every landlord will need to register both themselves and each property they let, at a cost of £65 a year per property. Registration matters beyond compliance: landlords without an active entry will not be able to obtain a possession order through the courts.
A new Landlord Ombudsman will follow, with membership expected to become mandatory in 2028. It will give tenants a route to resolve disputes without going to court. A modernised Decent Homes Standard for privately rented homes is further off, with the timetable still to be confirmed.
London landlords have time to prepare, and the best use of it is to make sure records are complete, from gas and electrical safety certificates to EPCs and tenancy paperwork. We are already helping our landlord clients get ready, so that registration is a simple step rather than a scramble when the London window opens.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget on 28 October will set the tone for the rest of the year, followed by the Bank of England’s next rate decision on 5 November. Rightmove now expects average asking prices to finish 2026 between 0% and 2% lower than they started.
For sellers, making property related plans for the coming months realistic pricing and good preparation will make the difference. Buyers have more choice than they have had for some time and are taking longer to commit, so homes that are priced correctly from the outset, with paperwork ready, are the ones that progress smoothly to exchange and completion.
For buyers, a market with plenty of stock and fewer competing offers creates opportunity, provided finance is arranged early and surveys are booked promptly.
As we move through the winter months, we expect a smaller but committed pool of buyers and tenants, with local knowledge and diligent sales progression making more difference than ever.
To discuss your next move with Horton and Garton, please get in touch.
