Lender Halifax today said the UK’s average property price is at a record after January’s increase of 0.7% took the figure to £299,138. The monthly rise follows December’s dip of 0.2%, although annual growth of 3% was the slowest rate since July. Halifax head of mortgages Amanda Bryden said: "Affordability is still a challenge for many would-be buyers, but the market's resilience is noteworthy.
“There’s strong demand for new mortgages and growth in lending. With a stamp duty increase looming, some of this demand may have come from first-time buyers eager to complete transactions before the end of March.”. The FTSE 100 index is poised for a quieter session after surging as far as 8767 and settling a record close of 8727.28 on Thursday. According to IG Index, London’s top flight is set to open about 27 points lower.
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