Annual house price growth accelerates to 3.2%

February 1, 2018 / Isla MacFarlane
Annual house price growth accelerates to 3.2%

The annual rate of house price growth picked up to 3.2% at the start of 2018, compared with 2.6% at the end of 2017, according to Nationwide’s House Price Index.

House prices increased by 0.6% over the month, after taking account of seasonal factors, the same increase as December.

“The acceleration in annual house price growth is a little surprising, given signs of softening in the household sector in recent months,” said Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist. “Retail sales were relatively soft over the Christmas period, as were key measures of consumer confidence, as the squeeze on household incomes continued to take its toll.”

Similarly, mortgage approvals declined to their weakest level for three years in December, at just 61,000.

“Activity around the year end can often be volatile, but the weak reading comes off the back of subdued activity in October and November,” said Garnder. “There are few signs of an imminent pickup, as surveyors report that new buyer enquiries have remained soft in recent months.”

Activity has been subdued on both the demand and supply side of the market. The flow of properties coming onto estate agents’ books has been more of trickle than a torrent for some time now and the lack of supply is likely to be the key factor providing support to house prices.

How the housing market performs in the year ahead will be determined in large part by developments in the wider economy. Brexit developments will remain important, though these remain hard to foresee.

“We continue to expect the UK economy to grow at modest pace, with annual growth of 1% to 1.5% in 2018 and 2019,” Garnder said. “Subdued economic activity and the ongoing squeeze on household budgets is likely to exert a modest drag on housing market activity and house price growth.

“Nevertheless, housing market activity is expected to slow only modestly, since unemployment and mortgage interest rates are expected to remain low by historic standards. Similarly, the subdued pace of building activity evident in recent years and the shortage of properties on the market are likely to provide ongoing support for house prices.”

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