LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK house prices increased at the fastest pace in four months in February, suggesting the property market gained momentum at the start of the year, data from the mortgage lender Halifax showed Friday.
House prices registered an annual growth of 1.3 percent in February, following a 1.1 percent rise in January. This was the strongest growth in four months and exceeded economists' forecast of 0.9 percent.
The average property prices reached a new record high of GBP 301,151 in February.
On a monthly basis, house prices increased 0.3 percent in February, in line with expectations. This was the second consecutive increase but slower than the 0.8 percent increase posted in January.
'These latest figures suggest the market has regained some momentum after a softer end to 2025,' said Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages at Halifax. While new mortgage approvals saw a slight easing in January, overall activity has remained resilient.
Bryden noted that affordability remained stretched, supply is constrained and regional disparities persist. Further, she noted that the path to home ownership feels particularly challenging for those without family support.
'However, conditions have been gradually improving, with easing interest rates and real wage growth helping to support buyer confidence,' Bryden added.
Geopolitical uncertainties are likely to affect the outlook for inflation and the wider economy, she said. Markets now expect a more gradual path for interest-rate reductions. If realized, the pace at which borrowing costs ease may be tempered, Bryden noted.
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