UK October Halifax house prices +0.6% vs +0.1% m/m expected

• Prior -0.3%

That’s a notable jump in UK house prices, with the pace being the fastest since January. The average property price is now £299,862, edging up to a new record high. And with mortgage activity also staying underpinned, it continues to point to relatively resilient demand. Halifax notes that:

“Demand from buyers has held up well coming into autumn, despite a degree of uncertainty in the
market, with the number of new mortgages being approved recently hitting its highest level so far this
year.

“There is no doubt that affordability remains a challenge for many. Average fixed mortgage rates are
currently around 4% and likely to ease down further, but with property prices at record levels, moving
home can feel like a stretch.

“Rising costs for everyday essentials are also squeezing disposable incomes, which affects how
much people are willing or able to spend on a new property.

“Even so, while there has been some volatility, the market has proven resilient over recent months, as
many buyers opt for smaller deposits and longer terms to help make the numbers work. With house
prices rising more slowly than incomes for almost three years now, we expect the trend of gradually
improving affordability to continue.”

This article was written by Justin Low at investinglive.com.