7 hours ago
6
Nick Edser
Business reporter, BBC News
UK house prices saw their biggest monthly fall for more than two years in June, according to mortgage lender Nationwide.
Prices fell by 0.8% last month, the biggest monthly decline since February 2023, which the building society said may reflect weaker demand following the changes to stamp duty in April.
Over the year, prices were up 2.1%, although that was the slowest annual growth rate for nearly a year.
However, Nationwide said it expected activity in the housing market to pick up in the months ahead.
Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said the situation for many potential homebuyers remained "supportive".
He noted that the unemployment rate remains low, earnings are still outpacing inflation and borrowing costs could become cheaper if the Bank of England makes further cuts to interest rates.
Changes to stamp duty that came into effect in April mean that housebuyers in England and Northern Ireland now pay the tax on properties over £125,000, instead of over £250,000, as was the case previously.
First-time buyers also have to pay stamp duty on homes costing more than £300,000, whereas before the April change, there was no charge unless the property was above £425,000.
Matt Swannell, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club, noted that monthly house price changes "can be quite volatile and this has been exaggerated by April's change in stamp duty thresholds".
This change distorted the market over the first half of the year, he said, as deals were rushed through at the end of March.
"[Since April] the housing market has been in a soft patch, but we think this will prove temporary, with the rise in May's mortgage approvals for new home purchases, which lead housing transactions, already indicating it's starting to fade."
Rosie Hooper, chartered financial planner at Quilter Cheviot, said the housing market was "still digesting" the stamp duty reforms in April.
"They will soon become the norm, and their immediate impact will fade into the rear-view mirror. First-time buyers and movers alike are already beginning to adjust to the new thresholds, which should help stabilise activity over the coming months," she said.
Nationwide's house price data is based on its own mortgage lending, which does not include buyers who purchase homes with cash, or buy-to-let deals. Cash buyers account for about a third of housing sales.
In general, the housing market has reflected the slow growth of the wider economy. Some people have chosen to delay moves owing to concern over their jobs and wages.
The mortgage market has also been steady and unspectacular. However, the prospect of further cuts in interest rates has prompted some extra competition among lenders in recent days.
First-time buyers continue to face the difficulty of raising a deposit, while often having to pay relatively high levels of rent.
