House prices 'fell by 1% in 2012'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 03 Januari 2013 | 15.36

3 January 2013 Last updated at 02:01 ET

UK house prices fell by 1% on average last year, the Nationwide says, and it predicts a similar outlook for 2013.

The building society said that the average property was valued at £162,262 at the end of 2012, following a 0.1% drop in December.

Buyers nervous about the economy and a lack of mortgage availability meant there was little housing market activity during 2012.

The 1% drop reversed a 1% average price increase in 2011, the Nationwide said.

However, the average price masked significant differences in property price changes in the different nations and regions of the UK.

For example, prices were 0.7% higher in London at the end of 2012 compared with a year earlier but dropped 8.2% over the same period in Northern Ireland.

The figures are based on the Nationwide's own mortgage data, and show less of a bubble in the capital than Land Registry figures released on Wednesday which indicated house prices in London had risen by 7% in the year to the end of October.

Outlook

The Nationwide said that conditions in the housing market remained "fragile", despite positive jobs news, with wages growing more slowly than the cost of living.

Continue reading the main story
  • England: down 0.4%
  • Wales: down 2.7%
  • Scotland: down 3.3%
  • Northern Ireland: down 8.2%

Source: Nationwide building society

"The uncertain outlook for the wider economy is also likely to have kept many potential buyers on the sidelines, unwilling to make a major financial commitment until they feel more optimistic about the future," said Robert Gardner, the Nationwide's chief economist.

He said the reason that prices had remained "relatively resilient" in the circumstances, and had not dropped further, was that low interest rates had meant mortgages had remained affordable for many people. This meant that they had not been forced to sell up, which would have increased supply and led to prices falling.

He predicted that activity would remain low in 2013, with prices remaining the same or dropping slightly throughout the year.


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