Are property prices rising or not? A guide to the major house price indices

There are numerous house price surveys charting the cost of Britain's homes. But which are the most useful? Here's MoneyWeek's quick guide to understanding the major house price surveys.

Property firm Rightmove reckons that the average price for a British house hit £243,737 in April, eclipsing the previous peak of £242,410 in May 2008 by 0.5%. Meanwhile, the Nationwide's last survey said prices fell 1%, while the Land Registry reported a rise of 0.1%. It's all rather confusing. So here's our quick guide to the key house price surveys.

First in line is the Rightmove survey. This is based on asking prices the price that sellers hope to achieve. However, until a sale is agreed and contracts have been exchanged, an asking price is just that. Furthermore, as with all these surveys, an average can be misleading.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
MoneyWeek

MoneyWeek is written by a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, plus expert columnists. As well as daily digital news and features, MoneyWeek also publishes a weekly magazine, covering investing and personal finance. From share tips, pensions, gold to practical investment tips - we provide a round-up to help you make money and keep it.