London remains the most expensive place in the UK to buy a house, with the average property there costing £545,439, according to the Halifax.

Northern Ireland continues to record the strongest house price growth in the UK, with an average price of £203,131.

In England, the North West region continued to see the strongest growth, increasing by 5.9% compared to last year. An average property there now costs £237,045.

House prices were up 5.5% on last year in the West Midlands, with an average home costing £257,982.

Halifax said Scotland saw a modest rise in house prices with the average property now costing £208,957, which is 2.8% more than the year before.

Halifax’s house price data is based on its own mortgage lending, which does not include buyers who purchase homes with cash, or buy-to-let deals. Cash buyers account for about a third of housing sales.