House prices in England and Wales fell slightly in August, property research company Hometrack said this morning in another sign the market may be cooling amid higher interest rates.
Hometrack said their measure of average house prices, based on agreed sales reported by estate agents, fell 0.1 per cent in August - the second monthly fall in a row.
The survey follows a series of data in recent weeks that suggest five interest rate rises from the Bank of England since November were starting to tame house price inflation, which in July topped 20 per cent annually by some measures.
The biggest price falls were in London and the southeast, while a dearth of new buyers has also helped create a "significant excess of supply", the non-seasonally adjusted survey said.
"Recent interest rate rises continue to take their toll on the housing market. . . . House prices are now very near their peak in terms of affordability and the recent housing boom now appears to be well and truly over," said Mr John Wriglesworth, Hometrack's housing economist.
Average sales price as a percentage of asking price fell for the fourth month in a row, while the average time taken to sell properties has risen. The number of sales agreed in August was down 2.1 per cent.
However, as the figures are non-seasonally adjusted, they may overstate the degree of cooling in the market. The summer is often a slow time for house sales and an easing in prices is often seen.