The affluent commuter towns where asking prices have fallen by £20,000 or more in a single year

Home sellers in popular commuter towns are having to accept their property may be worth up to £25,000 less than they were last year.Towns including Haywards Heath in West Sussex, Maidenhead in Berkshire and Bath in Somerset are among those to see the average newly listed asking price fall year-on-year.In Haywards Heath in West Sussex, the average asking price has dropped by 4.8 per cent from £484,527 to £461,066, representing a £23,461 fall compared to listings last year.In Maidenhead in Berkshire, the average newly listed asking price for homes there has fallen by £22,991 from £594,677 to £571,686.Home sellers are also having to lower their expectations in Bath where average new asking prices are down £19,903 and in Leamington Spa in Warwickshire where new listings are £12,735 lower than last year.However, there are also some commuter hotspots further north where the price of a home coming up for sale is very much on the up. Pricing lower: In Maidenhead in Berkshire, the average newly listed asking prices has fallen £22,991 from £594,677 to £571,686Sellers in commuter towns around Glasgow and Manchester are tending to price well above where they were a year ago. Many of these locations offer easier access to a major city at a lower price point than commuter hotspots in the south.Average asking prices have generally been more subdued in the cities themselves than in many surrounding commuter areas.Falkirk in Stirlingshire, has the highest price growth of all commuter locations analysed with newly listed asking prices up 13.5 per cent compared to last year. The typical home there is being listed £21,825 higher than in 2025.Clark Gillespie, director at Forth and Clyde Property, says Falkirk is an attractive choice for buyers because it offers a combination of affordable prices and strong transport links.He says: 'With multiple train stations and easy access via the excellent motorway network to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling, it's a practical option for commuters who want to stay connected to major cities while getting more for their money.'The area is particularly popular with families thanks to its well-regarded schools, and many buyers see it as a place where they can put down long-term roots, even if their job circumstances change. 'That mix of value, convenience and lifestyle continues to drive strong demand across Falkirk and the wider central belt.'Rochdale near Manchester has also seen newly listed asking prices jump by almost £20,000 in a year. One outlier is Broxbourne in Hertfordshire where the average new home coming to market is a whopping £48,766 higher than a year ago at £654,263. Aside from that, Colleen Babcock, a property expert at Rightmove, says the data highlights two very different stories playing out across some of Britain's commuter markets. Rightmove found that 11 of the top 15 fastest-growing locations have average asking prices below £250,000.'In the more affordable locations around Glasgow and Manchester, asking prices are rising strongly as buyers look for value within reach of major cities,' says Babcock.'Meanwhile, some of the more expensive commuter hotspots are seeing prices ease, which could create opportunities for buyers who may previously have been priced out. 'For anyone considering a move, it's a reminder that looking a little further beyond the main city locations can often open up more options and better value for money.'The property website also found a similar north-south divide is playing out within the cities themselves. The Manchester ripple effect: Four of the top 10 commuter hotspots that have seen asking prices rise the most in the last year were in Greater ManchesterAcross the six cities analysed, average asking prices are up by 2.9 per cent year-on-year in Glasgow, 1.8 per cent in Manchester and 1.4 per cent in Cardiff.Meanwhile, prices have fallen annually by 0.6 per cent in Birmingham, 0.6 per cent in Bristol and 3.1 per cent in London.In fact, the average price of a home coming up for sale in the capital's richest borough has fallen by nearly £100,000 in just one month, according to the property portal.The current average new asking price of a home in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was £1,552,970 in August. A month ago, the figure was £1,648,148, a difference of just over £95,000.Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have shot up again due to inflation triggered by the conflict with Iran reversing hopes that the Bank of England would cut rates. This means those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs.That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord.This is Money's partner L&C can help you with its fee-free mortgage service.> Compare mortgage rates> Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C.This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit.You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes.If you’re ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C’s online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000’s of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.> Find your best mortgage deal with This is Money and L&C Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.