Almost one in two (46%) high net worth individuals in the UK are concerned about the future value of their primary residence, according to the latest Saltus Wealth Index.
A fifth (21%) say they are “very concerned” about the value of their property.
The findings come as house prices fall, with data from Savills showing that prime country house prices have tumbled 7.8%, wiping £363,500 off the average value.
House prices in London have also fallen 1.7% in the 12 months to January 2026, as the housing market faces elevated mortgage rates, stamp duty changes and geopolitical uncertainty.
The Saltus Index, which is based on a survey of 2,000 HNWIs with at least £250,000 in investible assets, finds that concern is highest among those living in London (53%), followed by Scotland (51%), the North West (49%) and Wales (49%).
Concern is also greatest among younger generations, with those aged 25-44 the most worried (57%). This falls to 45% among those aged 45-54 and 23% among the 55-64 year old cohort. Just one in 10 (11%) of those aged 65 and over are concerned by falling property values.
Professional financial advice also appears to sharpen awareness of property risk. Nearly seven in 10 (69%) HNWIs who have recently received professional financial advice are concerned about the future value of their primary residence, compared with just 19% of those who have never sought advice and would not consider doing so.
Saltus said concern over property values reflects broader financial anxiety. More than half (51%) of HNWIs view inflation as the biggest risk to their wealth, followed by tax changes (45%) and interest rates (30%). A further 7% of HNWIs identify mortgage rates in isolation as the single biggest risk to their wealth.
One in ten (10%) HNWIs believe Council Tax is the most unreasonably high tax they pay, while 7% single out Stamp Duty on their primary residence. Under the current Stamp Duty Land Tax framework, rates rise from 2% on portions above £125,000 to 12% on the value of a property above £1.5 million, meaning buyers at the upper end of the market can face six figure tax bills on a single transaction.
With the temporary Stamp Duty relief withdrawn in April 2025 and a new surcharge on homes worth more than £2 million announced in the Autumn Budget, the cumulative burden on high value property owners has grown, Saltus said.
Henrietta Grimston, chartered financial planner at Saltus, said: “What these findings tell us is that for high net worth individuals, property is no longer the straightforward store of wealth it once felt. The combination of elevated mortgage rates, stamp duty changes, a potential mansion tax and geopolitical uncertainty has introduced a huge amount of anxiety, particularly among younger homeowners and those based in London.
“For many people, their home is both a place to live and a major part of their overall wealth, so concerns about values and the prospect of higher taxes naturally carry real weight. That is prompting more people to think carefully about how much capital they have tied up in property and how resilient their plans would be if costs rise further.”
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