UK house prices rise in April despite Iran war headwinds, Nationwide says

LONDON - British house prices unexpectedly rose 0.4% in April, despite headwinds to consumer confidence from conflict in the Middle East, and were 3.0% higher than a year earlier, mortgage lender Nationwide Building Society said on Friday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.3% monthly drop for April, which would have left prices 2.2% higher than a year earlier.

British mortgage rates have risen since the start of the Iran war at the end of February and consumer sentiment has fallen to its lowest since 2023.

Property surveyors reported weaker buyer demand in March and the broadest decline in house prices since January 2024.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William James)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 12:14 AM.