The latest figures from Halifax show house prices in the UK rose by 3.9% in the year to November, a slowdown on the previous month’s annual rise.
Between October and November this year, prices went up by 0.5%, with a 2.4% rise in total from September to November, making the total average house price now £226,821.
The figure is 3.2% higher than it was in January this year, with the bank saying that the imbalance between supply and demand is continuing to support house prices.
Russell Galley, managing director at Halifax Community Bank, said: “Further ahead, increasing affordability issues, as price increases continue to outstrip wage growth, are likely to curb housing demand and cause price growth to ease.”
“We do expect the government’s first-time buyer stamp duty changes to provide some stimulus to demand, particularly in London and the south-east where the impact is greatest,” he added.
No significant upturn
The figures conflict Nationwide’s index, which put the year-on-year house price rise at 2.5%, although the month-on-month increase was set at a more modest 0.1%.
The building society put the average price of a home in the UK at £211,085.
Howard Archer, chief economic adviser at EY Item Club, said: “The recent contrast between the Halifax and Nationwide data highlights the fact that house price measures can be volatile and differ from month to month between reporting agencies. It is therefore best not to attach too much importance to one particular survey but to try and take an overview.”
He added: “[We believe] that there is unlikely to be a significant upturn in housing market activity any time soon. Housing market activity is being pressurised by weakened consumer purchasing power and substantial consumer wariness over engaging in major transactions. Potential house buyers may also be concerned by the Bank of England hiking interest rates early in November.”
See January 2018’s house price index results from Halifax.
