AVERAGE UK house prices fell slightly last month, latest figures show.

But in this region, the average price remains well up compared to the same time last year.

According to the Halifax House Price Index, the average cost of a property in Yorkshire and the Humber is £185,229 – 10.9 per cent up on June last year.

Russell Galley, for the Halifax, said: “The average UK house price slipped by 0.5 per cent in June, the first monthly fall since January. As a result, annual house price inflation also eased back slightly from May’s 14-year high of 9.6 per cent to stand at 8.8 per cent. It is important to put such a moderate decrease in context, with average prices still more than £21,000 higher than this time last year following a broadly unprecedented period of gains.

“With the stamp duty holiday now being phased out, it was predicted the market might start to lose some steam entering the latter half of the year – and it’s unlikely that those with mortgages approved in the early months of summer expected to benefit from the maximum tax break, given the time needed to complete transactions.

“Government support measures over the last year have helped to boost demand, particularly amongst buyers searching for larger family homes at the upper end of the market. Indeed, the average price of a detached home has risen faster than any other property type over the past 12 months.”