Average Property in England and Wales price rises past £290,000

Average Property in England and Wales price rises past £290,000

Property prices in England and Wales rose 0.2% in January, according to Your Move Reeds Rains House Price Index.

The index, published by the estate agents group puts the average rise at £688 with the North West of England seeing the biggest rise year on year, with an 8.8% rise.

However price rises are lower than this time last year, with January 2015 seeing a 0.5% month-to-month rise.

Your Move Reeds Rains also estimate the number of property transactions for January 2016 to be around 57,600, just below January 2015 and significantly below January 2014. The estate agent also says that the expected surge in buy-to-let sales is still yet to materialise.

Adrian Gill, Director of Reeds Rains and Your Move estate agents, said: “Existing homeowners have seen a satisfying New Year’s nudge in the value of their homes, making a positive start to 2016. While the 0.2% rise may seem small, we’ve now broken through the £290,000 barrier in average home values across England and Wales. Last June, average prices crossed the £280,000 marker, but we have to go back to August 2014 for the crossing of the £270,000 threshold. We’re now passing these milestones in quicker and quicker succession, as prices pick up pace. This hastening is good news for homeowners, but means it’s getting harder for those still hoping for homeownership.

“In the last twelve months there’s been a 5.5% upswing in average property prices compared to just a 2.1% rise in average earnings. However, aspiring buyers now have much more support to help get a foothold on the ladder, with the launch of the Help to Buy ISA in December and the new Starter Homes scheme this year. But in the long-term there has to be a huge breakthrough in housebuilding if we’re going meet the growing demand for homes and keep house price growth sensible.

“While the South East remains the region with the fastest year-on-year price rise at 7.7%, London has now swept to second place. The typical property in London has increased in value by £34,485 in the last year – almost equal to the £35,333 median gross annual earnings in the capital. This 6.2% hike in the capital’s home values has been driven by activity in the more affordable outer boroughs.

“The cheapest eleven boroughs have seen the biggest boost in property prices, up 14% (£47,052) year-on-year, with a typical home in Newham now costing £63,429 (23%) more than in December 2014. As London workers attempt to find affordable places to buy, prices are rising in the nearby commuter towns as well. The fastest growth year-on-year across the country has been experienced in Luton where home values are up 17.5%, with trains here only taking 23 minutes to get into St Pancras Station.

“Bournemouth has seen the highest house price rises on a monthly basis across England and Wales, up 2.9% (£7,000) in December – equivalent to £226 each day. This upswing has been propelled by the expanding tech sector in the city. Last year Bournemouth was named the fastest-growing digital economy in the UK. This ‘silicon beach’ surge has created more well paid tech jobs in the area – spurring the recent rise in home values, as more people look to move into the neighbourhood.

“Home sales have seen the usual seasonal slump in January, falling 26% from the previous month’s level. However, this is better than expected, with sales typically dropping by 28% between these two months. Regionally, there has been a significant upswing in sales in the North West, rising 8.8% in the last quarter of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014. We are now seeing faster growth in sales in lower-priced areas, as buyers seek more property for their money.”

Josh Morris

Josh is the Journalist for the Today's Group and writes many of the articles for Today's Conveyancer. He graduated with a degree in Physics from Cardiff University in 2009 before training as a journalist. He has previously written for The Times, The Mirror and The Daily Express.

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