House prices in the UK increased for a fourth consecutive month in April fueled by more positive market sentiment and seller shortage, a report from Rightmove revealed Monday.
New seller asking prices rose 2.1 percent month-on-month to GBP 244,706 in April. This was the highest April figure ever recorded, Rightmove said. In March, prices were up 1.7 percent month-on-month.
Year-on-year, house prices rose 0.4 percent in April following a 1.2 percent gain in the previous month.
According to the report, a combination of more positive market sentiment and seller shortage fueled upward price pressure. The number of newly marketed properties was down 4 percent compared to same period last year.
Average price of a property coming to market rose 6.9 percent so far in 2013, the second highest national figure Rightmove has ever recorded.
All regions have seen prices rise month-on-month except London, Rightmove said, adding that this should be put into the context of prices in the capital outpacing the rest of the country over the last 12 months.
Home prices in London fell 0.5 percent month-on-month to GBP 493,635. Year-on-year, this was 6.2 percent higher.
"With mass-market buyers still sitting on the sidelines, the size of the active market is a lot smaller, making it easier for an upswing in activity to feed through to an upturn in prices," said Miles Shipside, director and housing market analyst at Rightmove.
"With London prices pausing for breath this month but likely to bounce back next, May looks like an odds-on bet to deliver a new asking price record," Shipside said. However, he noted that this should not be confused with an overall market recovery as while spring may be here, the ongoing chill of the recession is still in the air."
The average time a property stays in the market was down to 73 days in April from 83 days in April last year. Rightmove said this implies that "growing demand in the market is not being matched by the supply of new properties coming up for sale."
Nationwide Building Society reported last month that house prices remained unchanged on a month-on-month basis in March. Meanwhile, Halifax said prices rose for a second consecutive month in last month and will likely show a moderate upward trend all through this year.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.