Pity those seeking to get on the property ladder as prices rise after months of falls

First-time buyers still have a mountain to climb, says James Moore, with the dip in the housing market not having provided much relief

April’s monthly increase follows seven consecutive declines and leaves house prices 4 per cent below their August 2022 peak (PA)

You could be forgiven for thinking it’s the end of the world when markets drop – lock your doors and put any money you’ve got under the bed. But corrections are sometimes very necessary.

So, to Britain’s (somewhat) battered housing market which, according to Nationwide, has perked up a bit after seven consecutive monthly falls.

The lender’s latest index shows that prices rose by 0.5 per cent during April. So of course, all of a sudden we’re talking about the green shoots of recovery (at least for now).