On an annual basis, property values increased by 1.0% in January, taking the average house price to £270,873, Nationwide Building Society said. Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “The start of 2026 saw a slight pick-up in annual house price growth, which rose to 1.0% in January, after slowing to 0.6% in December. Mr Gardner said that, in contrast to elsewhere in the UK, Northern Ireland has seen a deterioration in affordability over the past year, due to strong house price growth there. “A growing supply of homes for sale is also giving buyers more choice and keeping price growth in check. Easing mortgage rates have played a central role in that and we expect confidence and pricing to slowly build as the year progresses.”

Source: The Herald February 02, 2026 14:07 UTC