Some of the most expensive areas in the area have seen the biggest falls between initial asking prices and the final figure, according to HM Land Registry data. “Looking at genuinely completed sale prices alongside current asking prices provides a far clearer picture of local market conditions." Nationally, UK house prices returned to muted growth in July – but the market remains “soft” amid an uncertain economic and geopolitical backdrop according to Nationwide. Average UK house prices accelerated to reach 2.2 per cent growth in the most recent figures. Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner said: “Market activity and house prices have remained soft in recent months, in part reflecting the uncertain economic backdrop.