House prices decline by 3.1% during first three months of year

HOUSE prices fell by an average of 3.1% during the first three months of the year, according to the latest report by property website Daft.ie.

The fall was the second-smallest quarterly decline since 2008.

According to the report the national average asking price for property has fallen 43% since the peak about four years ago and now stands at €210,000, while the average time taken to sell a property is now nine months, the same as a year ago.