House prices on the rise for second month

House prices were up for the second month in a row in April, according to property website Hometrack. Overall, prices rose 0.1 per cent in the month compared with a more robust 0.2 per cent increase in March.

The rise comes despite the end of the stamp-duty holiday and the wet spring weather. Overall, demand among buyers was higher, up 25 per cent over the last three months. But there are signs this is slowing with new buyer registrations up just 2.1 per cent in April as opposed to 4.4 per cent in May.

London led the way, with an above-average price rise of 0.3 per cent over April. "The strongest gains were seen in London, with small gains across the regions of Southern England. Elsewhere house prices were either static of falling," Richard Donnell, director of research at Hometrack, said.