2025 has revealed some clear trends; prices, buyer demand, and rental activity have shifted, and certain towns stood out for their resilience and performance.
Here’s our data-backed summary of what happened across Surrey & Hampshire.
1) Price Trends — What We have Seen Locally
Even though the national picture in 2025 was fairly subdued, Surrey and Hampshire continued to show strength, especially in the most desirable commuter and family-focused towns.
Rightmove’s latest data keeps Surrey’s average property price around £594,000, still one of the highest outside London. However, individual areas perform differently:
- Ash Vale continues offering excellent value compared with more premium Surrey towns, attracting steady first-time and second-stepper interest.
- Cobham remains one of Surrey’s flagship high-value markets, driven by schools and premium family homes.
- Farnham has noticeably strong demand, consistently outperforming county averages thanks to its historic centre and community feel.
- Godalming maintains stable mid-to-upper-tier values with appealing riverside and period stock.
- Guildford continues to be one of the most in-demand towns in the county for buyers prioritising schools and connectivity.
- Woking, with its rapid London links, remains a hotspot for professionals seeking value versus inner Surrey.
Hampshire (Alton & Petersfield)
Hampshire’s county-wide average sits nearer £388,000, however, areas like Alton and Petersfield comfortably outperform this, thanks to strong commuter demand and a family-friendly profile.
Both towns benefit from a stable pipeline of buyers looking for more space without losing access to rail connections or good schools.
2) Buyer Demand Shifts — Who’s Been Active in 2025
From what we’ve seen locally — and backed up by portal data:
- First-time buyers and upsizers returned as mortgage rates settled.
- Higher-value Surrey areas (especially Cobham, Guildford and Farnham) saw more cautious decision-making. Pricing has had to be sharper to secure viewings.
- Alton and Petersfield continued attracting London leavers, young families, and those seeking better value than many Surrey towns can offer.
Rightmove’s national sales-agreed data showed an uplift compared with 2024, suggesting underlying demand is healthy — but only for realistically priced homes.
3) Lettings Market Performance
Zoopla’s 2025 rental market reports show a shift back toward balance after years of rapid rent increases.
Locally, we’ve noticed:
- Good-quality rentals still move quickly, especially in Guildford, Woking and Farnham.
- Family homes in Cobham, even at higher price points, remain consistently sought-after.
- Ash Vale and Godalming maintain strong interest from commuters and young professionals.
- Petersfield and Alton enjoy reliable rental activity, thanks to station access and strong schooling.
Landlords who present properties well and invest in basic energy efficiency improvements are seeing shorter voids and stronger tenant retention.
4) Standout Towns & Villages of 2025
These Bourne locations really shaped the local property story this year:
Surrey
- Cobham — premium family demand, strong education pull, resilient values.
- Farnham — a top performer for both sales and lettings; outstanding town-centre desirability.
- Guildford — high competition among buyers; strong educational and commuter appeal.
- Woking — one of Surrey’s most consistent performers due to its fast London connections.
- Godalming — retains strong mid-to-upper-tier demand and steady lettings performance.
- Ash Vale — excellent value option within the borough, popular with first-time buyers and young families.
Hampshire
- Petersfield — premium appeal, excellent schools, and strong inbound buyer activity.
- Alton — reliable, consistent demand from buyers seeking affordability without sacrificing links and amenities.
5) How We Use Property Portal Data to Understand the Market
One thing 2025 taught us is that each portal provides different insights:
- Rightmove — for understanding current asking prices and live market sentiment.
- Zoopla & Land Registry — for accurate sold-price evidence.
- ONS — for bigger trend context.
Together, they give a complete picture — especially when making decisions about selling, buying or renting out a home.
6) Takeaways for 2026
For landlords
- Energy efficiency upgrades = fewer voids.
- In competitive lettings markets like Guildford, Farnham, Woking and Cobham, presentation is everything.
- Street-level comparable rents matter more now than broad averages.
For sellers
- Buyers in 2025 were value-driven — they respond to accurate pricing and excellent presentation.
- Choosing an agent who genuinely understands Ash Vale, Cobham, Farnham, Godalming, Guildford, Woking, Alton and Petersfield makes a measurable difference in speed of sale.
- Local school, commute and lifestyle data should be front and centre in marketing.
Final Thoughts
2025 showed that hyper-local knowledge is more important than ever. The towns Bourne Estate Agents cover — across Surrey and Hampshire — performed differently, but all benefited from strong fundamentals: connectivity, community feel and consistent buyer and tenant demand.
For more information about the property market in your local area, speak to one of our property experts in branch or on the phone. We’re always happy to help.
Alton – Ash Vale – Cobham – Farnham – Godalming – Guildford – Petersfield – Woking
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