HOUSE prices increased in Bracknell Forest in October, new figures show.

But the boost does not reverse the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area suffer a 3.2per cent annual decline.

The average Bracknell Forest house price in October was £332,682, Land Registry figures show – a 1.4per cent increase on September.

Over the month, the picture was better than that across the South East, where prices decreased 0.8per cent , and Bracknell Forest outperformed the 0.7per cent drop for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Bracknell Forest remained level – putting the area 58th among the South East’s 67 local authorities for annual growth.

The best annual growth in the region was in the Isle of Wight, where properties increased on average by 6.4per cent, to £229,000.

At the other end of the scale, properties in South Bucks dropped 11.3per cent in value, giving an average price of £558,000.

Winners and Losers

Owners of semi-detached houses saw the biggest improvement in property prices in Bracknell Forest in October – they increased 2.1per cent, to £369,261 on average– but over the last year, prices dropped by 2.2per cent.

Among properties:

Detached: up 1.8per cent monthly; down 2.6per cent annually; £611,964 average

Terraced: up 1.5per cent monthly; down 2.8per cent annually; £283,898 average

Flats: up 0.3per cent monthly; down 5.4per cent annually; £203,499 average

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Bracknell Forest spent an average of £ 271,000 on their property – £10,000 less than a year ago, and £38,000 more than in October 2014.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £388,000 on average in October – 43.4per cent more than first-time buyers.

How do property prices in Bracknell Forest compare?

Buyers paid 2.9per cent more than the average price in the South East (£323,000) in October for a property in Bracknell Forest. Across the South East, property prices are high compared to those across the UK, where the average cost £233,000.

The most expensive properties in the South East were in Elmbridge – £605,000 on average, and 1.8 times as much as in Bracknell Forest. Elmbridge properties cost 2.9 times as much as homes in Southampton (£207,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea, where the average October sale price of £1.2 million could buy 14 properties in Burnley (average £87,000).

Factfile

Average property price in October

Bracknell Forest: £332,682

The South East: £323,438

UK: £232,944

Annual growth to October

Bracknell Forest: -3.2per cent

The South East: -0.3per cent

UK: +0.7per cent

Best and worst annual growth in the South East

The Isle of Wight: +6.4per cent

South Bucks: -11.3per cent