Fresh insights from Yopa, the full-service estate agency, reveal a savvy shift in the property game: homebuyers across England are snapping up fixer-uppers to dodge the steep costs of homeownership. With modern homes and their hefty price tags losing traction, it’s the rough-around-the-edges properties stealing the spotlight in today’s market.
Yopa combed through nearly 330,000 listings, sorting them into period properties, fixer-uppers, and modern homes to see what’s catching buyers’ eyes.
The verdict? Fixer-uppers lead the pack, with 46% of those listed already under offer or sold subject to contract.
Meanwhile, period properties lag at 37%, and modern homes trail further at just 27%.
“The market is certainly heading in the right direction and there’s an overarching air of optimism that 2025 will bring a more settled landscape, certainly with respect to mortgage affordability,” says Yopa’s National Franchise Director, Steve Anderson. But for now, affordability hurdles—fueled by pricier mortgages—are steering buyers toward smarter entry points.
Rightmove’s data backs this up, pegging the average fixer-upper at a 12% discount—a lifeline for those feeling the pinch.
Compare that to period properties, which can command premiums of up to 180%, or new-builds averaging 49% above the norm, and it’s easy to see why project homes are the go-to.
Anderson nails the trend: “However, as it stands, buyers continue to face far higher borrowing costs than they’ve become accustomed to in recent years and it’s clear that affordability remains a sizable obstacle when it comes to the pursuit of homeownership. So it’s no surprise that fixer-upper homes are in high demand at present, as they allow a lower initial cost when climbing the ladder, with the ability to spread the cost of improving them over a period to suit each individual buyer’s timeframe and financial foundation.”
The catch? These budget-friendly gems are scarce, making up just 5% of current listings.
Period properties, at 28%, and modern homes, at 10%, flood the market by comparison, yet they’re sitting longer.
For buyers, fixer-uppers offer not just a lower upfront hit but a chance to build equity on their own terms—a move that’s proving irresistible as mortgage rates bite.
With 2025 on the horizon promising calmer waters, this trend could be the hack London’s ladder-climbers need to watch.