© Provided by Wirral GlobeWirral house prices dropped more than North West average in March (Image: Radar)
HOUSE prices dropped by 1.9% - more than the average for the North West - in Wirral in March, new figures show.
But the drop does not reverse the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 3.4% over the last year.
The average Wirral house price in March was £202,472, Land Registry figures show - a 1.9% decrease on February.
Over the month, the picture was different to that across the North West, where prices decreased 1.3%, and Wirral was lower than the 1.2% drop for the UK as a whole.
Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Wirral rose by £6,600 - putting the area 31st among the North West's 35 local authorities with price data for annual growth.
The highest annual growth in the region was in Fylde, where property prices increased on average by 14.3%, to £247,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in Blackpool gained 0.7% in value, giving an average price of £130,000.
First steps on the property ladder
First-time buyers in Wirral spent an average of £169,800 on their property - £5,000 more than a year ago, and £41,600 more than in March 2018.
By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £233,700 on average in March - 37.7% more than first-time buyers.
Property types
Owners of terraced houses saw the biggest fall in property prices Wirral in March - they dropped 2.5% in price, to £153,621 on average. But over the last year, prices rose by 3.2%.
Among other types of property:
Detached: down 1.3% monthly; up 3.9% annually; £350,523 average
Semi-detached: down 1.8% monthly; up 3.6% annually; £227,374 average
Flats: down 1.8% monthly; up 1.7% annually; £118,450 average
How do property prices in Wirral compare?
Buyers paid 4.4% less than the average price in the North West (£212,000) in March for a property in Wirral. Across the North West, property prices are lower than those across the UK, where the average cost £285,000.
The most expensive properties in the North West were in Trafford - £361,000 on average, and 1.8 times as much as more than in Wirral. Trafford properties cost 3.1 times as much as homes in Burnley (£115,000 average), at the other end of the scale.
The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea.
Factfile
Average property price in March
Wirral: £202,472
The North West: £211,759
UK: £285,009
Annual growth to March
Wirral: +3.4%
The North West: +5.2%
UK: +4.1%
Highest and lowest annual growth in the North West
Fylde: +14.3%
Blackpool: +0.7%