Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK house prices rise at fastest rate in 15 years, says Halifax

UK house prices rise at fastest rate in 15 years, says Halifax

Average price hits £278,123 as property market continues to defy economic conditions

UK house prices are rising at their fastest rate since 2007, according to Halifax, with the typical property notching up its biggest annual cash gain in the nearly 40 years since the lender’s index began.

Two years on from the start of the coronavirus pandemic, commentators say the housing market is continuing to defy economic conditions, with average property prices rising by another 0.5% in February, equating to £370 a week.

It was the eighth month in a row that property values had risen, pushing up the annual rate of price growth to 10.8%, the highest figure since June 2007.


The price of a typical home has risen by more than £38,000 since February 2020, and during the last 12 months alone £27,200 has been added to the value.

“This is the biggest one-year cash rise recorded in over 39 years of index history,” a Halifax spokesperson said. This meant the average house price had hit “another new record high” of £278,123.

The squeeze on household finances, fuelled by rising interest rates and inflation, does not as yet appear to have done much to dent the market’s buoyancy.

Estate agents and others have said a shortage of homes for sale is continuing to drive prices up, while the pandemic has prompted many people living in urban areas to look at relocating somewhere with more open space, such as a village or small town in the countryside or by the sea.

However, the events in Ukraine are expected to help put the brakes on the market.

Russell Galley, Halifax’s managing director, said: “The war in Ukraine is a human tragedy but is also likely to have effects on confidence, trade and global supply chains.”

He said soaring oil and gas prices were one immediate consequence, meaning that UK inflation – already at a 30-year peak – would remain higher for longer, adding to the squeeze on already stretched household incomes. Meanwhile, further interest rate increases looked likely in the near term.

“These factors are likely to weigh on buyer demand as the year progresses, with market activity likely to return to more normal levels, and an easing of house price growth to be expected,” Galley said.

Wales was the strongest-performing nation or region in terms of house price growth, with prices typically up by 13.8% over the past year, while south-west England was close behind at 13.4%. By contrast, the figure for London was 5.4%.

Lewis Shaw, who founded the mortgage broker Shaw Financial Services, said the UK property market had “gone down the rabbit hole”, adding: “Economic logic suggests prices should be coming down but the surreal lack of stock is keeping values buoyant.”

Sarah Coles, an analyst at the investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “House prices can’t escape reality for ever. Eventually buyers will have to face the fact that life is getting more expensive and unpredictable, and we’ll see these record price rises slow significantly.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×