º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Economic Development

º£½ÇÊÓÆµ house prices rise again as buyers looks for larger homes

The cost of homes has continued to climb despite the cost-of-living crisis putting a financial squeeze on households

For sale, under offer and sold signs, West Hampstead, London(Image: Tim Graham/Getty Images)

The average º£½ÇÊÓÆµ house price rose by more than £3,000 last month as a lack of properties on the market continued to drive demand.

It is the longest run of monthly rises since 2016, according Halifax, which said the typical house price was a new record of £286,079 in April – a yearly increase of 10.8%.

At the current rate of growth, the price of an average home could hit £300,000 by the end of the year, but the bank said that remains unlikely given the economic conditions predicted. Prices have increased by £47,568 on average over the past two years, Halifax said.

It took the previous five and a half years to make an equivalent leap, with values increasing by £47,689 on average between October 2014 and April 2020.

Across the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ, Halifax said Northern Ireland was the strongest performer for annual house price growth, at 14.9%, although the average house price there remains some way short of its record of £230,931, set in the summer of 2007.

Average house prices in Wales and Scotland hit new records in April, at £214,396 and £196,471 respectively. Six out of nine English regions recorded double-digit annual house price inflation during April.

In the South West, the average house price broke through the £300,000 barrier for the first time, at £301,632.

Annual house price inflation in London continues to lag the rest of the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ, at 6.2%. However, average property values in the capital remain much higher than the rest of the country, with the latest average price of £537,896 also a new record for the city, Halifax said.