April house prices up 0.2 per cent

House prices rose 0.2 per cent in April, according to the Land Registry House Price Index. The average house price in England and Wales now stands at £165,596.

All regions in England and Wales experienced increases in their average property values over the last 12 months. The region with the highest annual price change is London with an increase of 14.8 per cent. The region with the smallest annual price rise is Yorkshire & The Humber with a movement of 0.7 per cent.

The North East experienced the greatest monthly rise with a movement of 3.1 per cent. Yorkshire & The Humber is the region with the most significant monthly price fall with a movement of -2.2 per cent.

The most up-to-date figures available show that during February 2010, the number of completed house sales in England and Wales rose by 49 per cent to 40,502 from 27,190 in February 2009.