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Average UK House Price Falls for First Time Since 2023
Lloyds said the average UK home cost £298,468 in August, with buyers holding back as higher borrowing costs and uncertainty weighed on demand.
On Monday, Lloyds reported British house prices fell 0.4% annually in August, marking the first yearly decline since November 2023 as buyers held back due to higher borrowing costs following the U.S.-Iran war.
Andrew Asaam, mortgages director at Lloyds, noted the average property now costs £298,468, explaining that homeowners are choosing to sit tight rather than cut prices amid global economic uncertainty.
While Northern Ireland recorded 6.9% annual growth and Scotland rose 3.5%, rival Nationwide Building Society reported 1.6% annual growth in August, illustrating varied performance across Britain.
Ruth Gregory, deputy chief economist at Capital Economics, expects house prices to flatline as two-year fixed-rate mortgages may rise to nearly 5% this month from 4.8% in July.
Despite recent volatility, average house prices remain around 25% higher than at the end of 2019, though Asaam expects the market to remain fairly subdued in the coming months.