September 2026 Property Market Update

Autumn is traditionally one of the busiest periods in the property calendar, and September 2026 has lived up to that pattern both nationally and here in Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Potters Bar and the surrounding villages. Buyer activity picked up as families returned from the summer break, while rental demand across our local area remained steady. Against that backdrop, the Bank of England held its base rate for a sixth consecutive meeting, even as mortgage pricing continued to creep upwards.

Local pricing and activity trends

Across the Welwyn Hatfield district, which takes in Hatfield, Old Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park, Essendon and Welwyn Garden City, the Land Registry's House Price Index shows average values up 2.01% in the year to July 2026 (the latest month for which figures are available), rising from £439,858 to £448,681. Detached homes led the way at £952,331 (+2.09%), with semi-detached properties close behind at £530,661 (+3.1%) and terraced houses at £407,970 (+2.61%). Flats and maisonettes were the one exception, dipping 0.14% to £245,354.

In Hatfield itself (AL10), sales properties took an average of 23 days to go under offer in September. The lettings market moved more slowly, with homes taking 47 days on average across the 109 rental listings tracked, flats proving the slowest at 55 days. Twenty properties were let during the month, with the average advertised rent at £1,640 per month.

Old Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Essendon (AL9) told a different story. Sales here moved quickly, averaging just 5 days to go under offer, though this is based on a small sample of three transactions so should be read with some caution. Lettings averaged 30 days across 33 listings, with nine properties let during the month. Average rents in this catchment were higher at £2,256 per month, reflecting the larger family homes typical of these villages.

Welwyn Garden City (AL7) saw sales average 21 days on the market. The lettings market here was the quickest of all our areas, with properties averaging just 16 days across 41 listings and 18 lets completed in September. Average advertised rent was £1,571 per month.

Potters Bar (EN6), which sits in Hertsmere rather than Welwyn Hatfield, recorded house price growth of 1.61% over the year to July 2026, with the average property now worth £548,704. Detached homes rose 2.75% to £1,200,351, semi-detached 2.59% to £615,098 and terraced 2.05% to £486,991, while flats slipped 0.39% to £291,783. Sales here averaged 30 days on the market and lettings 31 days across 59 listings, with seven properties let during September at an average rent of £1,852 per month.

Mortgage and interest rate news

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 on 17 September to hold the base rate at 3.75% for the sixth consecutive meeting this year, with three members, Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and Huw Pill, preferring a quarter-point rise to 4%. The decision followed figures showing CPI inflation climbing to 3.1% in August, up from 2.9% in July, driven largely by higher energy costs. The next decision is due on 5 November.

Despite the hold, mortgage pricing has continued to move in the wrong direction for borrowers. The average two-year fixed rate stood at 5.73% and the average five-year fix at 5.78% as of 16 September, with only a single sub-4% deal left on the market, and that only available as a variable-rate tracker.

Nationally, Rightmove's House Price Index recorded a 0.7% rise in average asking prices during September, to £367,440, the first monthly increase since May and a reversal of August's 2% fall. Buyer demand rose 5% in the first week of September as home-movers returned from the summer break, although enquiries remain around 9% below the same point last year.

Market outlook

For sellers in our area, the return of autumn buyer activity is encouraging, but the national stock of homes for sale remains at its highest level for this time of year in over a decade, so realistic pricing from the outset still matters, particularly for flats where local values have slipped slightly.

Buyers weighing up a purchase should factor in the higher cost of borrowing before making an offer. With average fixed rates now above 5.7%, the affordability calculation has shifted since the start of the year.

Landlords will take some encouragement from rents holding firm across all our areas, with Old Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Essendon commanding the strongest average rent and Welwyn Garden City letting the fastest. Tenants searching in that stretch of AL7 should expect to move quickly once they find somewhere suitable.

With the next Bank of England decision due on 5 November, it will be worth watching whether the current hold continues, and what that means for buyers and landlords heading into winter.