Estate agent "For Sale" and "To Let" signs outside residential properties in London. Bloomberg
Estate agent "For Sale" and "To Let" signs outside residential properties in London. Bloomberg
Estate agent "For Sale" and "To Let" signs outside residential properties in London. Bloomberg
Estate agent "For Sale" and "To Let" signs outside residential properties in London. Bloomberg

British house prices fall 5.3 per cent in the 12 months to September


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

British house prices were more than 5 per cent lower in September compared to a year earlier, matching a fall the previous month which represented the biggest annual drop since 2009.

Figures from mortgage lender Nationwide showed the average house price in September was around £14,500 lower than a year ago, or 5.3 per cent down.

But in month-on-month terms, prices were the same in September after a 0.8 per cent fall in August, the lender said.

That meant the average price of a home remained unchanged at £257,808 ($314,060) after two months of falls.

Economists had predicted a month-on-month drop of 0.4 per cent.

“Investors have marked down their expectations for the future path of Bank Rate in recent months amid signs that underlying inflation pressures in the UK economy are finally easing,” said Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist.

“If sustained, this will ease some of the pressure on those remortgaging or looking to buy a home.”

Signs of stabilisation came after the average borrowing rate on a five-year fixed-rate deal fell below 6 per cent for the first time since early July last week.

While borrowing rates on home loans have started to cool after jumping earlier in the summer, they are still at painfully high levels for Britain’s squeezed families.

Bank of England data suggests that interest rates on new mortgages are more than triple their level in early 2022.

The south-west of England was the weakest performer in the third quarter of this year, with prices down by 6.3 per cent annually. Northern Ireland was the strongest.

“The downturn in house prices probably has only a few months left to run,” said Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. The market is “close to bottoming out,” he said.

Nationwide said that sales of flats are holding up better than other properties as stretched affordability forces buyers to seek out smaller, cheaper homes.

However, flats also saw the biggest year-on-year fall in quarterly data released by the lender.

The price slump eased in London with values down 3.8 per cent in the third quarter compared to a year ago, an improvement from the 4.3 per cent fall the previous quarter.

Britain's housing market has slowed as borrowing costs mount, but the fall in house prices remains less marked than their jump of about 25 per cent between the start of the coronavirus pandemic and September last year.

Last month, the Bank of England kept the Bank Rate on hold after 14 back-to-back increases that could help to ease some of the pressure on people remortgaging or looking to buy a home, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said.

The combination of rising wages and lower house prices and mortgage rates will probably improve affordability in the housing market over time although it was set to remain subdued in the interim, he said.

Transaction volumes for flats were holding up better than other property types, possibly reflecting how prices for smaller homes did not rise as much during the pandemic, Nationwide said.

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

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Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers

Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2

Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC

Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers

Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins

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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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Second Test, Day 2:

South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining

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The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):

British group

Coldplay

Foals

Bring me the Horizon

D-Block Europe

Bastille

British Female

Mabel

Freya Ridings

FKA Twigs

Charli xcx

Mahalia​

British male

Harry Styles

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Michael Kiwanuka

Stormzy​

Best new artist

Aitch

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Mabel

Sam Fender

Best song

Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care

Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up

Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant

Dave - Location

Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove

Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved

Tom Walker - Just You and I

Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger

Stormzy - Vossi Bop

International female

Ariana Grande

Billie Eilish

Camila Cabello

Lana Del Rey

Lizzo

International male

Bruce Springsteen

Burna Boy

Tyler, The Creator

Dermot Kennedy

Post Malone

Best album

Stormzy - Heavy is the Head

Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka

Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent

Dave - Psychodrama

Harry Styles - Fine Line

Rising star

Celeste

Joy Crookes

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Key Points
  • Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
  • Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
CREW
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  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

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Singapore

8.

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9.

Saudi Arabia

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Programme

Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson

THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Updated: October 02, 2023, 8:09 AM`