Higher mortgage rates have prompted sellers to offer discounts at almost double the rate than last year, according to Rightmove.
During the last week of June, a third of homes listed up for sale in the UK were being offered at a discounted price, compared to 18% a year earlier, the property website reported.
Soaring mortgage rates, prompted by the Bank of England lifting base interest to 5% last month, have driven the increase in discounted offerings as sellers look to offload properties more urgently.
According to Moneyfacts, interest rates on average two and five-year fixed mortgages now sit at 6.39% and 5.96%, with the former having been 3.25% in June last year.
Paying interest on average £200,000 loan has jumped by £362 year-on-year therefore, equating to almost £9,000 extra for a two-year fix.
“The sharp rise in rents, together with continued high rates of inflation more generally is continuing to make it difficult for many,” Nationwide economist Robert Gardener said last week as the lender reported a 3.5% annual drop in house prices.