UK House Prices Drop 1.8% in 2023

House prices remained steady in December, but fell on an annual basis due to weak activity

Alliance News 29 December, 2023 | 11:21AM
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

for sale signs for houses

UK house prices were unchanged on a monthly basis in December, but down annually, according to figures from Nationwide.

The Nationwide house price index revealed that over the past 12 months, non-seasonally adjusted prices fell 1.8% in December. This is a softening from a 2.0% fall in November – and 3.3% in October.

However, December's decline was slightly steeper than the 1.4% pencilled in by the market. Compared to their all-time high in late summer 2022, house prices were 4.5% lower.

On a monthly basis, the Nationwide index showed no change in seasonally-adjusted UK house prices in December, after a 0.2% rise in November from October. December's reading was in line with FXStreet-cited market consensus.

In December, the average UK house price stood at £257,443, down slightly from £258,557 the prior month, without seasonal adjustment.

Commenting on the December figures from the index, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, says: "Housing market activity was weak throughout 2023. The total number of transactions has been running at circa 10% below pre-pandemic levels over the past six months, with those involving a mortgage down even more, circa 20%, reflecting the impact of higher borrowing costs. On the flip side, the volume of cash transactions has continued to run above pre-Covid levels.

"Even though house prices are modestly lower and incomes have been rising strongly, at least in cash terms, this hasn't been enough to offset the impact of higher mortgage rates, which in recent months were still more than three times the record lows prevailing in 2021 in the wake of the pandemic."

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Sign Up Here

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

About Author

Alliance News  provides Morningstar with continuously updating coverage of news affecting listed companies.

© Copyright 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use        Privacy Policy        Modern Slavery Statement        Cookie Settings        Disclosures