London, Edinburgh and Bristol have attracted more property searches on the web by would-be buyers than anywhere else in Britain so far in 2017, according to an analysis by the property website Zoopla.The latest research by the company found that the average home price across the country stood at £304,469 at the start of July, an increase of £3,039 since the start of the year.However, not all regions have seen property values grow: in NE England, the average has fallen by £1,430 since January while, in Wales, it has gone down by £1,553.

House price rises lower than 2016

Zoopla pointed out that the national average rise this year was considerably lower than at this time last year. "In June 2016, the average property had increased by £13,852 over the same six-month period."The total value of the British property market has grown by just 1.1 per cent since the start of 2017, compared to 5.28 per cent over the same six months last year. Meanwhile, average values in the capital have stagnated. Today's prices are just 0.5 per cent higher than they were in January compared to the 3.5 per cent recorded this time last year."Nevertheless, the company said that, at £673,344, the average price of a London home still represented a new record.

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For other house price figures follow these links:

• UK house prices 'rising at slowest rate since 2013'
• UK property prices bounce back to new high
• House price slowdown in London comes to a halt

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The report attributed subdued activity in the market on factors such as uncertainty over the impact of Brexit, a squeeze on incomes and rising inflation. It also pointed out that the number of properties for sale was close to record lows, with a drop in new instructions.Zoopla added, "A closer inspection of the figures reveals a patchwork of property 'micro-markets', some of which are bucking the slowdown trend. For example, in the historic market town of Belper in the Peak District, the average home has risen in value by 7.43 per cent (£16,597) since January. And in Hove near Brighton, home values have jumped by 7.07% (£30,584) over the same period.

The regional picture is varied

"It’s a different story in Yorkshire’s Richmond, which is currently Britain’s worst performing town. Average prices there have dropped by 5.34 per cent (£15,085) since the start of 2017."In regional terms, properties in the West Midlands increased the most in value over the first half of the year, rising by 2.6 per cent, bringing the average to £217,534. By comparison, Wales has seen a 0.86 per cent drop, leaving the average property price at £179,354.Lawrence Hall, a Zoopla spokesman, said, "While growth has slowed to a more modest rate, we’re not seeing the stark downturn in values that has been predicted.“And while a slowdown might not be what homeowners want to hear, it does present possible opportunity for those looking to get on the ladder by the end of the year.”Average regional property prices on July 1, according to Zoopla, followed by the changes in cash and percentage terms since the start of the year:- West Midlands £217,534, £5,510, 2.6 per cent- East of England, £352,552, £8,686, 2.53 per cent- Scotland, £180,878, £3,086, 1.74 per cent- Yorkshire and the Humber, £170,629, £1,849, 1.1 per cent- East Midlands, £207,019, £1,714, 0.83 per cent- North West England, £187,503, £1,407, 0.76 per cent- South East England, £406,130, £2,691, 0.67 per cent- London, £673,344, £3,367, 0.5 per cent- South West England, £293,689, £776, 0.26 per cent- North East England, £185,820, -£1,430, -0.76 per cent- Wales, £179,354, -£1,553, -0.86 per centFor related news and features, visit our Residential Property section.

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