UK House Price Index Slows During April

UK House Price Index Slows During April

Wednesday 1st May 2024 – 07:45 (BST)

The UK Nationwide House Price Index (HPI) for April 2024 showed a year-on-year increase of 0.6%, marking a slowdown from the 1.6% growth seen in the previous month and falling short of the anticipated 1.2% gain. This modest rise represents the third consecutive month of increases but at a notably slower pace, likely due to ongoing challenges with affordability aggravated by a recent uptick in longer-term interest rates, which have reversed the sharp decline observed earlier in the year.

According to a recent survey, nearly half (49%) of prospective first-time homebuyers have postponed their plans over the past year. Among the top reasons cited for this delay, 53% pointed to excessively high house prices, while 41% identified increased mortgage costs as another significant obstacle to purchasing a home.

On a monthly basis, house prices dipped by 0.4% in April, extending the decline from March’s 0.2% decrease and falling short of market expectations for a 0.2% increase. This downward trend in monthly prices underscores the current challenges facing the UK housing market despite the overall year-on-year growth in house prices.

The latest data placed further pressure on GBP that has been riding a wave of speculation regarding near-term interest rate moves by the Bank of England. There has been mixed signals coming from the UK central bank with a split in policymaker opinions on when to begin reducing current levels.