Heat and World Cup hurt UK property asking prices, Rightmove says

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - Asking prices for newly advertised British houses and apartments recorded an unusually large fall in the four weeks to July 11, as the men's soccer World Cup and record temperatures distracted buyers who also face high borrowing costs, property website Rightmove said on Monday.

Prices for property put on sale dropped by 1.0%, compared with the previous month, bigger than the average 0.2% fall for the period over the past 10 years.

Rightmove also said:

• Asking ⁠prices were 0.4% lower than a year earlier, after a 0.5% annual drop in June

• The average two-year fixed mortgage interest rate fell to 4.92% from 5.07% in June but was up from 4.25% in February

• Sales agreed in the first half of 2026 were 6% ⁠below ​their level a year ​earlier but were similar to volumes in the first six months of 2024

• The number of homes available for sale fell 1% compared to a year earlier but was close to a 12-year high for the time of year

(Writing by William Schomberg; editing by David Milliken)