The average UK house price came close to reaching a record high last month as falling mortgage rates helped to boost confidence among buyers, according to Halifax.
The UK's largest mortgage lender said the average price hit £293,399 in September, just short of the record £293,507 reached in June 2022.
Prices have now risen for three months in a row, Halifax said, as market conditions improve.
"Mortgage affordability has been easing thanks to strong wage growth and falling interest rates," Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, told the BBC.
"This has boosted confidence among potential buyers, with the number of mortgages agreed up over 40% in the last year and now at their highest level since July 2022."
Compared with a year ago, Halifax said house prices were up 4.7% - the fastest pace of growth since November 2022.
On Monday, the average rate on a two-year fixed rate mortgage was 5.38%, according to the financial information service Moneyfacts. It said the average for a five-year fixed deal was 5.05%.
Halifax said that despite recent cuts in mortgage rates, "housing costs remain a challenge for many".
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