The average mix-adjusted UK house price was £204,439 (not seasonally adjusted). Average house prices were 0.3 per cent lower over the quarter to April, compared to a quarterly decrease of 0.4 per cent over the quarter to January (seasonally adjusted).
Average prices remained unchanged during the year in England but decreased in Scotland (-1.2 per cent), Wales (-1.4 per cent) and Northern Ireland (-15.2 per cent).
Prices paid by first time buyers were 1.6 per cent lower on average than a year earlier and prices paid by former owner occupiers increased by 0.2 per cent.
Prices for new properties were 4.2 per cent higher on average than a year earlier whilst prices for pre-owned dwellings decreased by 0.6 per cent.
Nicholas Ayre, director of UK buying agent Home Fusion, said:
“Despite a few negligible monthly rises, the underlying trend in the property market remains resolutely downward. It's still dogged by low buyer confidence and the banks' reluctance to lend.
"What this data drives home once again is just how fragmented the property market is across the UK. House prices are steady in England, which has been buoyed by demand in the London property bubble, while vast decreases in Northern Ireland show the full scale of market turmoil.
"The figures suggest that, for first time buyers in particular, there are bargains to be had."
