House prices up by €400 a week

AVERAGE house prices have risen by almost €400 a week this year despite a slowdown in annual property inflation, from 13.6% a year ago to 9.8% in November of this year.

The price of the average house nationally in November was €253,769, up nearly €20,000 on that recorded in December 2003, €234,066.

The growth continues to slow, according to the Permanent TSB house price index, which shows that houses increased in value by 0.3% in November, the same as October. A new Dublin Commuter Index has been added to the monthly figures and this shows the price of a house in Louth, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow hit €272,000 in November, €60,000 below Dublin proper and €50,000 above outside Dublin.