The North-South divide in the UK property market is now at its widest point and is continuing to grow.
The average price for a house in London is £437,000, but this is almost three times more than a comparable one in the North East which is the least expensive area in mainland Britain.
The divide, not particularly new, is being pumped up by the steadily increasing prices in the capital. London prices jumped 12% in the last year, compared to an average of 3.4% in the North East, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Across the UK, values rose 5.5% in that time.
The greatest jumps were in the east of England (4.8%), the West Midlands (4.7%) and the South East (4.5%).
Yorkshire and Humberside performed the worst, with an increase of just 0.8%.
Fuelled by the rising London prices, the average house price across the UK was £257,000 in October, just passing the 3% stamp duty threshold of £250,000. The average prices of a home in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are £164,000, £129,000 and £184,000 respectively.
