HOUSE prices increased in Braintree in June, new figures show.

The boost contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area achieve 3.7 per cent annual growth.

The average Braintree house price in June was £289,945, Land Registry figures show – a two per cent increase on May.

Over the month, the picture was similar to that across the East of England, where prices increased two per cent, and Braintree outperformed the 0.7 per cent rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Braintree rose by £10,000 – putting the area 12th among the East of England’s 45 local authorities for annual growth.

The best annual growth in the region was in Brentwood, where properties increased on average by 6.6 per cent, to £447,000. At the other end of the scale, properties in North Norfolk dropped 3.7 per cent in value, giving an average price of £245,000.

Winners and Losers

Owners of semi-detached houses saw the biggest improvement in property prices in Braintree in June – they increased 2.1 per cent, to £300,085 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 4.3 per cent.

Among other types of property:

Detached: up 1.9 per cent monthly; up 4.1 per cent annually; £484,308 average

Flats: up 1.6 per cent monthly; up 1.1 per cent annually; £161,788 average

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Braintree spent an average of £​241,700 on their property – ​£8,200 more than a year ago, ​and ​£51,600 more than in June 2015.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £​327,800 on average in June​ – 35.6 per cent more than first-time buyers.

How do property prices in Braintree compare?

Buyers paid two per cent less than the average price in the East of England (£296,000) in June for a property in Braintree. Across the East of England, property prices are high compared to those across the UK, where the average cost £238,000.

The most expensive properties in the East of England were in St Albans – £520,000 on average, and 1.8 times as much as in Braintree. St Albans properties cost 3.1 times as much as homes in Great Yarmouth (£166,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea, where the average June sale price of £1.4 million could buy 15 properties in Burnley (average £92,000).

Factfile

Average property price in June

Braintree: £289,945

The East of England: £295,856

UK: £237,834

Annual growth to June

Braintree: +3.7%

The East of England: +2.6%

UK: +3.4%

Best and worst annual growth in the East of England

Brentwood: +6.6%

North Norfolk: -3.7%