Buyers in London and the south of England are benefitting most from static house prices and lower mortgage rates.

House prices cooled but avoided the usual 'summer slowdown'.

Average new seller asking prices are now 0.1% below this time last year following several months of muted price growth.

New buyer enquiries fall for a second straight month, with a decline in agreed sales also reported.

The latest e.surv Acadata House Price Index shows average house prices in England and Wales held steady in August, ending a run of six consecutive monthly declines.

England shows a North/South divide, with the North East recording the fastest pace of growth.

Prices fell 0.1% month-on-month.

Market conditions have already softened since the end of the stamp duty holiday in March.

Around 90,000 UK properties are owned by anonymous companies, worth over £100 billion.

The North East was the English region with the highest house price inflation, at 7.8%.