Statistics tend to define the way we think about property. As a nation, we buy and sell more than 100,000 homes a month – more than 3,000 a day. House prices went up 7.8% in the year to June 2022, taking the average property value in the UK to £286,397. The average deposit for first-time buyers is now about £75,000. People aged over 65, who represent less than a quarter of the population, own almost half of England’s housing equity.
But behind the numbers, each property transaction is a story with a cast of generally anxious characters. I set out to find properties worth £25,000, £250,000 and £25m – and speak to everyone involved in each sale and purchase. Taken together, the stories of three very different houses offer a snapshot of an industry that shapes all our lives and communities.
