St Helens house prices increased in May

File photo dated 14/10/14 of a sold and for sale signs. A gradual slowdown in the housing market in Scotland is likely as the cost-of-living crisis bites, a report has warned. House prices in Scotland continue to edge upwards but indicators are softening slightly, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) latest survey. Issue date: Thursday May 12, 2022.

House prices increased by 2.8% in St Helens in May, new figures show.

The rise contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 16% over the last year.

The average St Helens house price in May was £174,614, Land Registry figures show – a 2.8% increase on April.

Over the month, the picture was different to that across the North West, where prices decreased 0.2%, and St Helens was above the 1.2% rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in St Helens rose by £24,000 – putting the area second among the North West’s 39 local authorities with price data for annual growth.

The highest annual growth in the region was in Knowsley, where property prices increased on average by 20.5%, to £177,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in Allerdale remained level at £169,000.

An imbalance between supply and demand for properties has remained the primary reason behind climbing house prices across the UK throughout the pandemic.

But activity is starting to slow, with soaring inflation putting household budgets under pressure.

Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at financial advice company Hargreaves Lansdown, said:“The average house price hit another record high in May, and rose faster than any time since the peak in June last year.

"However, we’re starting to see small changes in the market, which are likely to mean weaker growth in the coming months, especially if interest rates are hiked in August."

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in St Helens spent an average of £157,000 on their property – £22,000 more than a year ago, and £46,000 more than in May 2017.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £196,000 on average in May – 24.9% more than first-time buyers.

Property types

Owners of terraced houses saw the biggest rise in property prices in St Helens in May – they increased 3.2%, to £135,213 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 15.4%.

Among other types of property:

Detached: up 2.4% monthly; up 17.4% annually; £291,710 averageSemi-detached: up 2.7% monthly; up 16.4% annually; £181,153 averageFlats: up 2.5% monthly; up 10.4% annually; £95,889 average

How do property prices in St Helens compare?

Buyers paid 15.1% less than the average price in the North West (£206,000) in May for a property in St Helens. Across the North West, property prices are lower than those across the UK, where the average cost £283,000.

The most expensive properties in the North West were in Trafford – £353,000 on average, and twice as much as more than in St Helens. Trafford properties cost 3.2 times as much as homes in Burnley (£112,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea.

Factfile

Average property price in May

St Helens: £174,614The North West:£205,783UK: £283,496

Annual growth to May

St Helens: +16%The North West: +11.5%UK: +12.8%

Highest and lowest annual growth in the North West

Knowsley: +20.5%Allerdale: 0%