THE LATEST house price figures for both Flintshire and Wrexham have been revealed.

The figures have come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and cover the month of September.

They show that house prices in Flintshire dropped that month, falling more than the average across Wales.

ONS data shows that the average Flintshire house price in the year to September was £210,999 – a 3.2% decrease on August.

It was below the average across Wales, where prices decreased by 2.2%.

House prices in Wrexham also dropped slightly in September, the new figures show.

Figures show that the average Wrexham house price in the year to September was £204,956 – a 0.4% decrease on August.

The drop in Flintshire contributes to the longer-term trend in the area, which has seen property prices in the area suffer a 2.2% annual decline.

But, the drop in Wrexham does not reverse the longer-term trend in the area, which has seen property prices in the area grow by 2.7% over the last year.

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The figures mean that Flintshire ranked 20th among Wales’s 22 local authorities for annual growth, with the average price in Flintshire falling by £4,800 over the past year.

Meanwhile, Wrexham ranked seventh on that same list, with the average price rising by £5,300 over the past year.

The highest annual growth in Wales was in Blaenau Gwent, where property prices increased on average by 12.5%.

At the other end of the scale, properties in Gwynedd lost 7.9% of their value.

Across the UK, average house prices in September fell slightly on the month before, but have accelerated by 2.9% over the past year.

Separate figures from the ONS show the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation jumped to 2.3% in October, up from 1.7% the previous month.

David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, said the jump in inflation could "bring further headaches for mortgage borrowers".

He said inflation lifting above the Bank of England's 2% target is "not a shock", but added it is higher than many had expected.

He said fixed rate mortgages have climbed in recent weeks, adding: "Those increases are due to the less optimistic forecast for interest rates and today's figures will do nothing to change that.

"Although still expected to fall, the growing expectation has been for rates to fall more slowly and not as far as previously anticipated."

Alice Haine, a personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, said: "Homeowners and first-time buyers are likely to be disheartened by the latest inflation reading, as it reduces the likelihood of a third rate cut this year.

"The average cost of a new fixed rate mortgage has been creeping up since the Budget, as lenders price their products to reflect expectations that interest rates may stay higher for longer."

She added the rise in inflation means mortgage borrowers could have "more pain to contend with" if more lenders adjust their rates upwards.