The latest figures released by Halifax have shown that the price of a typical home in the UK dipped by 0.2% in December.
Annually, according to the data, property prices are up 3.3% (vs 4.7% last month) with the price of an average home ending the year at £297,166.
Northern Ireland retain its position at the top with the strongest property price growth of any nation or region in the UK. December saw it rising by 7.4% on an annual basis. Properties in Northern Ireland now cost an average of £205,895.
House prices in Wales were up 4.6% compared to the previous year, with properties now costing an average of £226,646. Scotland saw a lower rise in house prices compared to the rest of the UK, with properties in the country now £209,959, 2.4% more than the year before.
In England, house prices in the North West were up 5.3% compared to the previous year, with properties now costing an average £238,832 – the strongest growth of any English region. London retains the highest average house price in the UK, at £547,614, up 3.3% compared to last year.