UK house price growth slows in last quarter of 2014.

The Guardian reports that according to the Nationwide Building Society  UK house price growth slowed sharply in the last 3 months of 2014, this cooling off of prices was most apparent in 3 regions of the UK..the north west..Yorkshire and Humberside..and Wales where it was recorded that there were outright price declines in the final quater of 2014. On a better note, generally house prices ended the year 8.3% higher than 2013, this price increase may well be exagerated by the fact that London was particularly strong, house prices in the capital are approx 35% above their former 2007 peak.
Furthermore “Nationwide’s chief economist, Robert Gardner, said: “All regions except the north of England saw a slowing in annual price growth in the final quarter of 2014. London was the top performing region for the second year running. Yorkshire and Humberside was the weakest performing English region, with prices up 1.5% over the year”
Where do we go from here in 2015? what will we be reporting on house prices this time next year? The stamp duty changes announced by Chancellor George Osborne which will involve 98% of house buyers paying less tax may only have a limited impact on the slowdown in house price growth, stricter mortgage rules will definately have an effect in reducing the number of mortgage approvals. The up and coming election will more than likely create an air of uncertainty and buyers may hold back from committing to their purchase till after the election, it may not be all over by then as we may face the possibility of another coalition, that will be very interesting! Most are however positive about the fact that we will see further gains in prices in 2015, I go along with that but may not be as much as some people are expecting.

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

5 Practical Examples: This is How AI is Changing Real Estate

There does not appear to be a single industry that is likely to be immune from the impact of AI. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that seismic changes are happening in the world of real estate, thanks to the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. From using the technology to identify ways to save…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

Overheating moves up the housing agenda

441,000 rental homes fail thermal comfort standards The latest analysis from Inventory Base has found that an estimated 441,000 private rented homes in England failed thermal comfort standards in 2024, accounting for 40.3% of all non-decent private rental properties, as major reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) came into force on…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth slows in June

The latest Nationwide House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices fell by -0.0% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased to 2.2% in June 2026, up from 1.7% in May 2026. The average UK house price for June 2026 now stands at £277,484, down slightly from £278,024 in…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide House Price Index May 2026

UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March House prices were up 0.4% month on month Headlines Apr-26 Mar-26 Monthly Index* 554.8 552.7 Monthly Change* 0.4% 0.9% Annual Change 3.0% 2.2% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £278,880 £277,186 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 30/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   8% of commercial real estate investors and owners have started AI pilots – the reasons why most fail Only 5% of CRE operators achieve most of their AI program goals According to JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey of more than 1,500 senior…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

What the average asking price buys across Great Britain

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals what buyers can get for the current average asking price of a home, at approximately £378,000 The analysis shows that in some areas, buyers can find five-bedroom homes for around the national average asking price, whereas in other areas it is only a flat or studio that buyers can afford There are clear…
Read More