News

Hampshire house prices see above average rise

December 31, 2010

HOUSE prices in Hampshire went up faster than those in the most of the UK last year, a report published on Friday has shown.

According to Halifax, the average house price in the county in 2010 rose by 8% from the end of 2009.

Figures released by the bank also show that Surrey remains the most expensive place to the live in the UK.

In 2009, the average cost of a home in Hampshire was £198,224.

By the end of 2010, this had risen to £214,786.

Surrey house prices went up by 7%, with the average 2009 cost of £276,932 rising to £296,344.

Hampshire and Surrey are now two of 14 counties in the country with average house price of more than £200,000.

Suren Thiru, housing economist at Halifax, said: “Many of the counties recording the best house price performance in 2010 are in the south of England, reflecting the general outperformance of the housing market in this part of the country.

“Looking forward, we predict that UK house prices at the end of 2011 will be at a broadly similar level to that at the end of 2010.”

But Mr Thiru added that he expected some “modest” variations in house price performance across the country over the coming 12 months.

“Prices are expected to be the strongest in southern England as this part of the country is likely to fare better economically,” he said.

“House prices outside southern England are likely to be constrained by a greater dependence on public sector employment at a time when this sector will be under pressure due to the government’s public spending reductions.”

Conwy in Wales saw the biggest percentage increase over the course of the year, with the average cost of a home rising 13% from £144,185 to £162,691.

The smallest rise (4%) was in Wiltshire where the £185,783 price rose by around £7,500.