The English country property market is offering buyers a different set of opportunities from those seen during the pandemic years. With transaction levels broadly back to their 2019 position, the market has become more varied, making local knowledge and a clear understanding of value particularly important.
Ben Horne, our Hampshire, Wiltshire & Berkshire advisor, explored these conditions in a recent interview with Mansion Global, discussing where buyers may find opportunities and how the market has evolved.
A market with more choice
In the article, Ben observes:
“Country values are now exactly where they were in 2019, and the number of transactions in 2025 was the same as 2019. So effectively, for the prime country market, it’s 2019.”
Middleton Advisors’ own research, comparing country property transactions above £2 million in 2019 and 2025, supports the broader picture. There were 1,272 transactions in 2019 and 1,266 in 2025, a difference of just 0.5%.
However, the overall figure masks considerable variation between regions and price brackets. Buckinghamshire recorded 59% more transactions in 2025 than in 2019, while Surrey was up 16% and Oxfordshire 14%. These differences underline the importance of looking beyond the national picture when assessing a particular market.
Opportunities across the price ranges
The data also shows that activity in the £2 million–£5 million market has held up well against the 2019 benchmark. Transactions between £2 million and £3 million increased by 20%, from 603 to 721, while the £3 million–£5 million bracket was broadly unchanged, up 2%.
At the higher end, transaction numbers have followed a different pattern. Sales between £5 million and £10 million were down 33% compared with 2019, while transactions above £10 million fell by 51%.
These figures describe a market in which the range of opportunities depends in part on price point. For buyers, understanding where activity is taking place can help inform both the search and the assessment of individual properties.
Looking beyond the headline price
In his Mansion Global interview, Ben also discusses the appeal of historic and listed properties, particularly where the purchase price leaves scope for a considered programme of work.
“There are great opportunities in historic and listed buildings,” he says.
Such purchases require careful assessment. The condition of the property, the cost of repairs, planning considerations and ongoing maintenance all need to be understood before a decision is made. With the right advice and a realistic view of the work involved, however, these properties can present worthwhile possibilities.
Ben also highlights the importance of looking closely at location. Different parts of the country offer different combinations of landscape, accessibility, amenities and lifestyle, and the right choice will depend on what matters most to the buyer.
Understanding the local market
The return to broadly 2019 transaction levels does not mean every region or property type is behaving in the same way. The figures show a market that has rebalanced, with meaningful differences by location and price bracket.
For buyers considering a country house or estate, the task is to understand those differences and assess each property on its own merits. That means combining wider market evidence with detailed local knowledge, careful due diligence and a clear view of the costs and opportunities associated with a particular purchase.
Read the full article here.
