House prices increased by 2.2% in Flintshire in April, new figures show.

The rise contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 12.7% over the last year.

An imbalance between supply and demand for properties has remained the primary reason behind climbing house prices across the UK throughout the pandemic.

The need for larger deposits and constraints on accessing mortgages have pushed homeownership further out of reach for many first-time buyers – despite Government figures showing 50% of renters would be able to afford the monthly payments.

In a recent major speech in Blackpool, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a “comprehensive review” of the mortgage market would take place in a bid to help more people onto the property ladder.

The average Flintshire house price in April was £207,657, Land Registry figures show – a 2.2% increase on March.

READ MORE: Flintshire house prices up again in March and increased more than Wales average

Over the month, the picture was similar to that across Wales, where prices increased 2.2%, and Flintshire was above the 1.1% rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Flintshire rose by £23,000 – putting the area 15th among Wales’s 22 local authorities with price data for annual growth.

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Flintshire spent an average of £174,000 on their property – £19,000 more than a year ago, and £39,000 more than in April 2017.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £234,000 on average in April – 34.2% more than first-time buyers.

Property types

Owners of terraced houses saw the biggest rise in property prices in Flintshire in April – they increased 2.2%, to £144,658 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 10.8%.

READ MORE: Plans for almost 100 homes in Buckley refused over loss of employment land

Among other types of property:

Detached: up 2.1% monthly; up 14.1% annually; £294,810 average

Semi-detached: up 2.2% monthly; up 12.7% annually; £178,295 average

Flats: up 1.6% monthly; up 6.4% annually; £97,485 average

Factfile

Average property price in April

Flintshire: £207,657

Wales: £211,990

UK: £281,161

Annual growth to April

Flintshire: +12.7%

Wales: +16.2%

UK: +12.4%