House prices up 1.4% in April
House prices continue to climb, rising by 1.4% in April this year, according to the latest edition of the permanent tsb/ESRI House Price Index. In the first four months of 2006, average national prices have risen by 5%, compared to just 1.3% in 2005.
The observer has to go back to the first four months of 2000 to see a higher rate of increase (6.5%: January to April 2000 inclusive).
Looking specifically at April, the price of houses nationally rose by 1.4% during the month, up slightly from the rate of 1.3% recorded in March this year and relatively unchanged from the growth rate in the each of the five months prior to that back to October last year (1.2%).
The index also reveals that over the last 12 months, the growth in national prices was 13.2%, up on the rate of growth to March 2006 (12.1%) and more than twice that recorded in the 12 months to April 2005 (6.5%).
The average price paid for a house nationally in April of this year was €291,678, up almost €14,000 on that recorded for December 2005 (€277,852).
