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UK house prices enjoy December rise
UK house prices enjoyed a last-minute boost to 2012 and rose by 1.3 per cent in December, according to Halifax’s house price index out this morning.
On an annual basis, house values edged down by 0.3 per cent over the year, the lender said. Overall, there were six monthly rises and six decreases during 2012.
Halifax puts the average UK house price at £163,845.
Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, points to a “firming” in the housing market over the final few months of the year.
He added: “We expect continuing broad stability in house prices nationally in 2013 with prices likely to end the year at levels close to where they begin.”