Bexley housing statistics 2026
House prices, rents, home types and planning rules in Bexley, with every figure from an official source.
Bexley is a borough of interwar semis. Two in five of its homes were built between the wars, 44.2% of households live in a semi-detached house and 68.6% own their home. The average home cost £414,833 in August 2026, up 1.9% on a year earlier while London prices fell.
Every figure comes from an official source and is dated, so you can see exactly what you are working with before you plan a home renovation in Bexley. The sources are numbered in brackets and listed in full at the end of the page.
When Bexley's homes were built
The railway reached Sidcup in September 1866 on the Dartford Loop Line, and housebuilding followed [1]. Bexleyheath had to wait until 1895 for its own line [2].
The big change came later. Bexleyheath was still concentrated along Watling Street at the start of the 1930s, but by the end of the decade the picture had changed dramatically, beginning with the Brampton Park Estate built by DC Bowyer [2]. In Sidcup, firms such as New Ideal Homesteads laid out large estates in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and a three-bedroom semi on the Penhill Park Estate was offered for £395 freehold in 1933 [1].
The Valuation Office Agency figures show how much of that building still stands. Of Bexley's 101,950 homes, 40.8% were built between 1919 and 1939, against 22.0% across London, and only 6.8% before 1900 [3]. Just 9.8% date from 2000 or later, about half London's 18.5%. For an owner in a 1930s semi, a loft conversion is one of the main ways to add a bedroom without moving.
How Bexley households live
The 2021 Census found 44.2% of Bexley households living in a semi-detached house, more than twice London's 18.6%. In all, 75.2% live in a house, against 46.0% across London [4].
Only 24.7% live in a flat, against 54.0% for London, and just 1.8% in a flat inside a converted house [4]. In a semi built for a 1930s family, a kitchen renovation is often about joining a small kitchen to the room next to it.
Who owns Bexley's homes
68.6% of Bexley households own their home, 32.7% outright and 35.9% with a mortgage, against 45.2% across London [5].
The outright figure stands out. Almost a third of households have paid off their home, against 20.7% for London. Only 15.3% rent privately, about half London's 30.0%, and 14.7% rent from a social landlord, against 23.1% [5].
What a Bexley home costs
The average Bexley home cost £414,833 in August 2026, 1.9% more than a year earlier [6]. That is about 25% below the London average of £554,430, where prices fell by 2.2%, and about 41% above the England average of £293,525 [7].
Bexley has gone against the London trend. In August 2006 the average home here cost £193,373, against London's £274,815. The biggest jump came between 2015 and 2016, when the average rose from £280,363 to £326,869. August 2026 is the highest figure in the twenty-year series, more than double the 2006 price [7].
Semis, terraces and the gap between them
A flat or maisonette in Bexley averaged £245,833 in August 2026 and a terraced house £418,205, a gap of £172,372. A semi-detached house averaged £535,915 and a detached house £737,494 [6].
Houses are where prices are rising. Semis rose 3.0% on a year earlier and terraces 2.6%, while flats fell 0.8% [6]. All four types cost less than the London averages, where a flat averaged £427,310 and a terrace £648,650 [7].
Moving from a terrace to a semi costs £117,710 more on average. For a family already in a terrace, a house extension adds room without paying for the next rung of the ladder.
What it costs to rent in Bexley
The average private rent in Bexley was £1,540 a month in September 2026, up 1.7% on a year earlier, about half the London rise of 3.5% [6]. A one-bedroom home averaged £1,231 a month and a home with four or more bedrooms £2,430.
Only 15.3% of households rent privately here. Where a house is let, a dated bathroom is often the first thing a bathroom renovation puts right between tenancies.
Council Tax bands in Bexley
Council Tax bands are based on what a home would have sold for on the open market on 1 April 1991 [8]. In Bexley, Band C is the largest, with 30.7% of homes against 27.1% for London, and Bands C and D together hold 58.3% of homes [3].
Band E is stronger than average, at 19.2% of homes against 15.3% for London, while only 1.7% of homes are in Bands G and H, against 7.6% [3].
The rules on your street
Bexley has 23 conservation areas, from Old Bexley and North Cray Village to Erith Riverside and Crossness [9].
Four of them, Brook Street, Old Bexley, Old Forge Way and Red House Lane, have Article 4 directions that restrict work which could otherwise be done without planning permission [10]. A borough-wide direction, in force since 24 September 2017, also means that turning a house into a house in multiple occupation needs planning permission [10]. Digging down is one of the jobs where planning rules matter most, so a basement conversion starts with a check of the address.
Under national rules, councils have 8 weeks to decide most planning applications and 13 weeks for major development [11]. It is worth checking whether your street is in a conservation area before anyone starts drawing, then asking up to three vetted builders to quote for your home renovation in Bexley against the same plans.
Bexley housing statistics at a glance
- Average house price, August 2026: £414,833 (London £554,430) [6] [7]
- Change on a year earlier: +1.9% (London -2.2%) [6] [7]
- Average flat or maisonette: £245,833 (London £427,310) [6] [7]
- Average terraced house: £418,205 (London £648,650) [6] [7]
- Average private rent, September 2026: £1,540 a month (London £2,338) [6]
- Homes built between 1919 and 1939: 40.8% (London 22.0%) [3]
- Households in a semi-detached house: 44.2% (London 18.6%) [4]
- Households who own their home: 68.6% (London 45.2%) [5]
- Households who own outright: 32.7% (London 20.7%) [5]
- Conservation areas: 23, with Article 4 directions in 4 [9] [10]
Frequently asked questions
References
- Ideal Homes: a history of south-east London suburbs, History of Sidcup. University of Greenwich. Accessed 6 November 2026.
- Ideal Homes: a history of south-east London suburbs, History of Bexleyheath. University of Greenwich. Accessed 6 November 2026.
- Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties 2026. Table CTSOP4.1, properties by build period and Council Tax band at 31 March 2026.
- ONS, Census 2021 table TS044: Accommodation type. Households by type of home, Bexley and London.
- ONS, Census 2021 table TS054: Tenure. Households by tenure, Bexley and London.
- ONS, Housing prices in Bexley. UK House Price Index for August 2026 and Price Index of Private Rents for September 2026, published 21 October 2026.
- HM Land Registry, UK House Price Index. Average prices for Bexley, London and England, August 2006 to August 2026.
- GOV.UK, How domestic properties are assessed for Council Tax bands. Accessed 6 November 2026.
- Bexley Council, Conservation and heritage. Accessed 6 November 2026.
- Bexley Council, Article 4 Directions. Accessed 6 November 2026.
- GOV.UK, Determining a planning application. Paragraph 001, time limits for deciding applications. Accessed 6 November 2026.
Thinking of improving rather than moving?
Tell us about your Bexley home and what you want to change. We'll give you a free estimate, then up to three vetted builders quote against the same specification.