New data shows house prices increased slightly in Bucks

House prices increased slightly, by 0.2%, in Buckinghamshire, new figures show.

The rise contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 13.7% over the last year.

The average Buckinghamshire house price in September was £489,334, Land Registry figures show – a 0.2% increase on August, figures released yesterday (16 November).

Over the month, the picture was similar to that across the South East, where prices decreased by 0.2%, and Buckinghamshire was above the UK as a whole, where prices did not change.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Buckinghamshire rose by £59,000 – putting the area 30th among the South East’s 64 local authorities with price data for annual growth.

The highest annual growth in the region was in Dover, where property prices increased on average by 16.8%, to £324,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in Gravesham gained 7.9% in value, giving an average price of £334,000.

An imbalance between supply and demand for properties saw house prices climb across the UK throughout the pandemic.

But typical property values stalled across the UK between August and September, which caused annual growth to slow.

Andy Sommerville, director at property data provider Search Acumen said the latest data is further evidence of "a turning tide for house prices".

The figures are yet to reflect the full impact of the mini-budget, announced towards the end of September, which sparked volatility in the mortgage market and saw interest rates on new agreements soar.

Nicky Stevenson, managing director at estate agent group Fine and Country said: “Annual house price growth slowed in September against a backdrop of rising interest rates and shrinking disposable incomes."

“All eyes will now turn to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, which is expected to include both tax rises and spending cuts," he added.

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Buckinghamshire spent an average of £361,000 on their property – £43,000 more than a year ago, and £52,000 more than in September 2017.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £584,000 on average in September – 61.6% more than first-time buyers.

Property types

Owners of semi-detached houses saw the biggest rise in property prices in Buckinghamshire in September – they increased 0.5%, to £485,502 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 15%.

Among other types of property:

Detached: up 0.4% monthly; up 13.9% annually; £892,883 average

Terraced: up 0.1% monthly; up 14.1% annually; £380,372 average

Flats: down 0.5% monthly; up 10.2% annually; £250,572 average

How do property prices in Buckinghamshire compare?

Buyers paid 21.3% more than the average price in the South East (£404,000) in September for a property in Buckinghamshire. Across the South East, property prices are high compared to those across the UK, where the average cost £295,000.

The most expensive properties in the South East were in Elmbridge – £744,000 on average, and 1.5 times as much as more than in Buckinghamshire. Elmbridge properties cost three times as much as homes in Southampton (£249,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

Factfile

Average property price in September

Buckinghamshire: £489,334

The South East: £403,515

UK: £294,559

Annual growth to September

Buckinghamshire: +13.7%

The South East: +10.3%

UK: +9.5%