Mark Barrow, Director & Chartered Surveyor at H&H Land & Estates, reflects on a robust year for land sales across Cumbria in 2025, and expresses cautious optimism that 2026 will bring a more stable and settled market.
As 2025 comes to a close, the land market across Cumbria has remained reasonably strong despite another year of policy uncertainty and shifting economic conditions. Activity throughout the year has been steady, with both buyers and sellers adapting quickly to changes in tax, reliefs and market sentiment.
In the runup to key monetary announcements we saw a noticeable increase in both on and off-market sales, as landowners looked for clarity on future liabilities and purchasers took opportunities to buy before rule changes came into effect. Although supply has varied between geographical areas, high-quality, well-located parcels of land have continued to command strong interest when brought to the market.
In a climate of sustained demand and limited availability, premium agricultural land has again proved its ability to hold value. Purchasers have been very selective, and this has widened the price gap between prime productive land and more marginal or poorly accessed parcels. This trend has dominated much of 2025, with buyers prioritising access, soil quality, infrastructure and long-term resilience. Investor interest has also remained steady, particularly in strategically positioned or urban parcels, where a mix of agricultural, environmental and future-use potential has attracted competitive bidding.
A significant feature of this year has been the continued increase in farms, land and property valuation instructions. Many landowners have requested up-to-date valuations to support their estate planning, tax management and diversification decisions. The changing policy landscape including the ongoing transition of subsidy schemes and changes to reliefs has led to a renewed focus on understanding asset value and preparing for the medium to long term. We have also seen strong demand for confidential off-market transactions These are often driven by time-sensitive decisions or the need to discreetly test price. For high-quality blocks, traditional on-market campaigns have also produced very successful results.
Throughout 2025, the strongest and most consistent demand has been for land with good access, productive soils and clear potential. Smaller parcels close to larger farming units have once again continued to achieve premiums, demonstrating the importance of location in terms of efficiency for expanding businesses. Strategically located land and land close to urban areas continues to be sought after with buyers who continue to see rural assets as a stable, long-term investment.
With interest rates now easing and confidence gradually returning, looking ahead to 2026, I am optimistic and expect a steady flow of land and property coming to the market. Demand is likely to remain selective but stable, with productivity, access and location continuing to underpin land values. Of course, a lot will depend on the clarity provided by government policy early in the year, particularly concerning taxation and long-term land-use direction.
Our teams across the North of England and Southern Scotland remain on hand to support landowners with sales, valuations and strategic planning as the rural property market evolves.