Scottish house prices continue to rise

The annual increase of 4.6% north of the border is well above the 3.3% inEngland and Wales recorded in June.

Scottish house prices continue to rise

Average house prices in Scotland jumped 0.5% in June with annualgrowth up to 4.6%, from 2.9% last month, according to the latest Your Move figures.

That’s well above the 3.3% inEngland and Wales recorded in June.

Prices in Scotland have risen for the fifth month in succession. This is in contrast to three months of falling prices to June in England andWales, with widespread annual increases and nearly half of all local authorityareas seeing price rises over the month.

The latest available figures in Scotland don’t take account of the post-election period, but with transactions estimated to be up 8%, they show the countryentered it on a strong footing.

The average house price in Scotland now stands at £175,941, up £7,779 over the year.

Christine Campbell, Your Move managing director in Scotland, said: “With strong growth in both its biggest cities, Scotland’s market is on a strong footing with first-time buyers contributing to this increase in activity.

"The increase in transactions is also encouraging, but we need to get more properties onto the market if that’s going to continue.”

Alan Penman, business development manager for Walker Fraser Steele, one of Scotland’s oldest firms of chartered surveyors and part of the LSL group ofcompanies, added: “It’s good to see growth at both the top of the market and inmore affordable areas.

"There seems to be a particular hot spot around Glasgow – both the city itself and its neighbouring local authorities are all growing robustly."