UK house prices rose in April, despite the end of temporary relief from the stamp duty tax on property transactions, according to data from mortgage lender Halifax released hours before the Bank of England’s interest rate decision.
Prices rose 0.3 per cent between March and April after falling 0.5 per cent in the previous month, Halifax said. On an annual basis, the increase was 3.2 per cent, up from 2.9 per cent in March, leaving the average price at £297,781.
Analysts had expected prices to fall 0.1 per cent month on month and to rise at a slower annual rate of 2.6 per cent.
Halifax’s figures are in contrast with data last week from rival lender Nationwide, which showed prices falling 0.6 per cent between March and April, the largest monthly drop since August 2023.
The lenders base their data on the mortgages they approve. Halifax has a larger sample than Nationwide and a focus on northern regions that can generate short-term differences.
