Kent housing market weakens in Dartford and Maidstone

The gap between winners and losers is widening. Sevenoaks was Kent's strongest market, with prices rising £1,886 to £535,810, while Swale, Medway, Dover and Gravesham also posted modest gains. At the other end, Maidstone fell £4,057 and Dartford's drop was more than four times that decline, highlighting the strain on commuter markets that had previously run hottest.

The cooling in Kent mirrors the wider UK picture, where average house prices are rising just 0.9% year on year and 0.3% from July to August, according to the Office for National Statistics. Mortgage approvals are at their lowest since early 2024, buyer enquiries are weak and mortgage rates are still around 6%, limiting how far households can stretch.

Investors will also be watching the Budget, with reports that Chancellor John Healey may lower the Mansion Tax threshold from £2 million to £1.5 million and consider higher Capital Gains Tax on landlords and second-home owners. Any move there would mainly hit higher-end owners and property investors in London and the South East, while a first-time buyer scheme could support entry-level demand.

The near-term outlook now hinges on whether easing wages and any Budget support can offset the hit from borrowing costs. For now, Kent's housing market looks less like a broad correction than a postcode-by-postcode repricing.