HOUSE prices dropped slightly, by 0.1%, in Wirral in December, new figures show.

But the drop does not reverse the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 14% over the last year.

The average Wirral house price in December was £213,547, Land Registry figures show – a 0.1% decrease on November.

Over the month, the picture was similar to that across the North West, where prices decreased 0.1%, and Wirral was above the 0.4% drop for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Wirral rose by £26,000 – putting the area 15th among the North West’s 39 local authorities with price data for annual growth.

The highest annual growth in the region was in West Lancashire, where property prices increased on average by 23.8%, to £244,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in South Lakeland gained 5.9% in value, giving an average price of £287,000.

The average UK house price was £294,000 in December 2022, which was £26,000 higher than 12 months earlier.

It meant prices increased by 9.8% annually in December, slowing from 10.6% annual growth in November, according to the Office for National Statistics.

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Wirral spent an average of £180,000 on their property – £23,000 more than a year ago, and £46,000 more than in December 2017.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £245,000 on average in December – 36.2% more than first-time buyers.

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Property types

Owners of detached houses saw the biggest fall in property prices Wirral in December – they dropped 0.1% in price, to £366,657 on average. But over the last year, prices rose by 13%.

Among other types of property:

  • Semi-detached: down 0.1% monthly; up 14.1% annually; £239,356 average
  • Terraced: down 0.1% monthly; up 15.1% annually; £163,671 average
  • Flats: up 0.2% monthly; up 12.4% annually; £124,740 average

How do property prices in Wirral compare?

Buyers paid 3.4% less than the average price in the North West (£221,000) in December for a property in Wirral. Across the North West, property prices are lower than those across the UK, where the average cost £294,000.

The most expensive properties in the North West were in Trafford – £384,000 on average, and 1.8 times as much as more than in Wirral. Trafford properties cost 3.3 times as much as homes in Burnley (£118,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea.

Average property price in December

  • Wirral: £213,547
  • The North West: £221,101
  • UK: £294,329

Annual growth to December

  • Wirral: +14%
  • The North West: +12.2%
  • UK: +9.8%

Highest and lowest annual growth in the North West

  • West Lancashire: +23.8%
  • South Lakeland: +5.9%