Asking prices reach a new record. Where the Huntingdonshire market actually stands.

What Rightmove's May data shows nationally.

Rightmove's monthly House Price Index for May 2026, released today, puts the average UK asking price at £379,517. That is a new record, though the 0.6 per cent monthly rise (+£2,335) is the smallest spring increase Rightmove has recorded at this point in the year since 2016. The report covers properties listed during the period running up to mid-May.

The reason growth is softer than a typical May is supply. The number of homes listed on Rightmove is at its highest for this time of year in more than a decade. More stock means buyers have options; that limits the urgency that drives sealed bids and above-asking offers. Demand dipped in April after the stamp duty changes, though year-to-date buyer activity remains 3 per cent ahead of the same period in 2025 and there are early signs of a bounce in May.

The 2025 comparison is worth taking with some context: last year saw a significant pull-forward of completions as buyers raced to beat the April 2025 stamp duty threshold reversion. The base is therefore flattering for 2025. Strip that out and the picture is one of a market that is steady rather than surging.

What the ONS figures show for Huntingdonshire.

The ONS published its April 2026 Private Rent and House Prices bulletin on 22 April. The Huntingdonshire-specific figures tell a more interesting local story than the national headline.

Average house prices in Huntingdonshire reached £308,000 in January 2026 (provisional estimate), a 3.3 per cent annual rise. That is well above the national average increase of 1.2 per cent over the same period. Private rents in the district rose to an average of £1,044 per month in February 2026, a 4.1 per cent year-on-year increase, against the national average of 3.4 per cent.

In plain terms, homes in Huntingdonshire are selling and renting at a faster pace than most of England. Cambridge city prices, at an average of £475,000 (February 2026 provisional), are growing more slowly and remain far above what most first-time buyers can stretch to. That gap continues to draw buyers out to Huntingdonshire, particularly along the A14 and A428 corridors.

What this means if you are selling.

The national supply story has not landed equally across the patch. A14-corridor villages, where Cambridge commuter demand stays active through most of the year, tend to see shorter marketing times and fewer price reductions. In the far west and parts of the fenland edges, sellers are spending longer on market in 2026 than in 2022 or 2023, and pricing accuracy from day one makes a bigger difference.

Rightmove's consistent message across the May data is that overpricing is the primary risk for sellers. With supply at its highest for this time of year in a decade, buyers are comparing more options and moving on from anything that feels stretched. An accurate asking price from day one is what turns enquiries into viewings and viewings into offers. If you want to know where your home sits in the current market, a valuation from someone who works this patch daily is the place to start. Our Brampton office covers all 56 villages and towns.

What this means if you are buying.

For buyers, the environment is more balanced than it has been. A sealed-bid situation in May 2026 is less likely than in the same month in 2022, though well-priced homes in the A14 corridor still move quickly. If you are working with a budget below £300,000, the fenland edge villages offer the widest choice and the most room to negotiate. If Cambridge access matters but you have flexibility on village size, the A1 south route through Perry and Ellington on to the A428 gives a different value proposition to the more competitive A14 corridor.

One thing to factor into your numbers: mortgage costs. Average two-year fixed rates have risen from around 4.25 per cent earlier this year to approximately 5.42 per cent, following global-market volatility. That moves monthly repayments noticeably on a typical Huntingdonshire purchase, so it is worth running the figures before you set your maximum offer. Our stamp duty calculator can help with the upfront costs side of the equation.

Sources: Rightmove House Price Index, 19 May 2026 release ("Prices reach new record despite more subdued late Spring market"); ONS Private Rent and House Prices UK: April 2026 (published 22 April 2026), covering provisional Huntingdonshire house price data to January 2026 and rent data to February 2026. Mortgage rate figure from Rightmove market data, May 2026.