Northern house price rises outdo the South

House prices in northern England have risen more quickly than in any other part of the country over the past year, according to new figures from the Land Registry. The North West has been the residential property market’s hottest region, with prices having risen by 16.8% since last September. Over the past three months, prices in the North West, which takes in towns and cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Blackburn, have climbed by 5.3%. Land Registry figures show that, on average, it costs £203,661 to buy a house in the North West. In London, house prices slumped, dropping by 2.9% to an average of £507,253. The annual rate of increase is just 2.8%, the smallest rise for any region of the UK for the tenth consecutive month.   The Times (£) The Evening Standard