House prices edge up as market restarts

House prices in Scotland showed a small average rise compared with the same months in 2019 as the market opened up after the COVID-19 lockdown, according to figures from Registers of Scotland.

The average price in July stood at £155,335, up 0.4% on July 2019, and in August was £155,191, up 0.6% on August 2019, Registers' first provisional figures show.

Across the UK prices performed more strongly, showing average rises of 2.3% in July and 2.5% in August.

Figures on sales volumes for these months are not yet available, though property agents in some areas have reported strong activity in the first weeks after lockdown restrictions were eased for the market at the end of June.

In both months, average price increases were recorded in 18 of Scotland's 32 local authorities. The largest increase in July was in Stirling, at 9.6%, and in August in Clackmannanshire, at 6.2%. In both months the largest decrease was recorded in Inverclyde, at 13.7% and 11.2% respectively.

Click here to access the fuller report for July, and here to access the fuller report for August.