Another jump in house prices confirmed by government figures

House price inflation accelerated to 10.6 per cent in August, up from 8.5 per cent in July as buyers rushed to beat the end of the stamp duty holiday.

Government figures from the Office for National Statistics data show that the average house price across the UK reached £264,000 in August, some £25,000 more than a year earlier.

Scotland saw the highest annual growth, with prices up by 16.9 per cent to £181,000; followed by Wales, where average prices were up 12.5 per cent to £195,000; England, where prices rose 9.8 per cent to £281,000; and Northern Ireland, where prices were up 9.0 per cent to £153,000.

Yet again London saw the lowest annual growth - for the ninth consecutive month - with prices up 7.5 per cent annually but on a monthly basis prices jumped 5.6 per cent in August alone in the capital.

Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: “Yet further proof that the drop in property prices following the initial stamp duty holiday deadline was merely a pause for breath in an otherwise marathon run of positive market momentum.

"There’s little sign of this letting up and should an increase in interest rates materialise, the likelihood is that it will be fairly palatable for the average homebuyer. Therefore, we don’t expect it to have any notable impact on the nation’s insatiable appetite for homeownership and the market should continue moving forward at pace well into next year.”