According to figures released by the Department for Communities & Local Government, the average UK house price in May 2006 was £190,051.
* The mix-adjusted average house price in the UK in May 2006 stood at £190,051, up from £188,290 in April 2006.
* UK annual house price inflation in May 2006 was 5.6%, up from 5.1% in April 2006. Annual house price inflation in London was 7.1% in May 2006, unchanged from April 2006.
* The UK annual house price inflation rate for the 3 months to May 2006 was 4.7%, and 6.1% in London.
House Price Inflation: Regional
The UK house price inflation rate rose from 5.1% in April 2006 to 5.6% in May 2006. Prices rose by 0.9% between April and May, compared to a smaller rise of 0.5% seen over the same period last year. The rise in UK prices between April and May can be attributed to rises in average prices for all property types, in particular for flats 1.5%, detached houses 1.4% and bungalows 1.8%. In the home countries, Wales saw a fall in inflation in May, while inflation rose in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in May. The inflation rate in England rose from 4.7% in April to 5.2% in May, the inflation rate in Scotland rose from 7.6% to 9.3%, in Northern Ireland the rate rose from 15.8% to 16.9%. In Wales the rate fell from 6.6% to 5.1%.
House price inflation rose in five of the English regions, fell in three and was unchanged in London. The highest inflation rate was in North East 7.6%, followed by London 7.1%, North West 6.1% and Yorkshire and the Humber 6.0%. Inflation rates were lower in other parts of England; in South West 5.1%, South East 4.5%, East 3.9%, West Midlands 3.7% and East Midlands 2.5%.
House Prices: Regional
Mix-adjusted average house prices in May were £198,400 in England, £152,752 in Wales, £136,553 in Scotland and £146,217 in Northern Ireland. The English region with the highest average house price in May remains London at £279,418. The lowest average price was in the North East at £139,175. Only the East, London, South East and the South West had average prices above the UK average.
House Price Inflation: Type of Buyer
The UK house price inflation rate for first time buyers rose from 4.9% in April to 5.9% in May. This was due to a rise of 1.1% in prices between April and May in the properties bought by first time buyers compared with a smaller rise of 0.1% over the same period last year. The inflation rate for former owner occupiers rose from 5.2% in April to 5.5% in May. This was due to a rise of 0.9% in prices between April and May in the properties bought by former owner-occupiers, compared with a smaller rise of 0.6% over the same period last year. The average price paid by first time buyers across the whole of the UK was £147,868 in May, while the average price paid by former owner occupiers was £208,045.
