Annual house price growth softened to 2% in August, figures from Nationwide show.
Prices declined 0.5% month-on-month, biggest monthly fall since July 2012.
Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s Chief Economist, said: “August saw a slight softening in annual house price growth to 2.0%, from 2.5% in July. Nonetheless, annual house price growth remains within the fairly narrow range of c2-3% which has prevailed over the past 12 months, suggesting little change in the balance between demand and supply in the market.
“Looking further ahead, much will depend on how broader economic conditions evolve, especially in the labour market, but also with respect to interest rates.
“Subdued economic activity and ongoing pressure on household budgets is likely to continue to exert a modest drag on house price growth and market activity this year, though borrowing costs are likely to remain low.
“Overall, we continue to expect house prices to rise by around 1% over the course of 2018.“
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