House prices in Cumbria have risen over the past year with a shortage of properties to buy, local estate agents say.

Across the UK, the average house price is now £219,000, an increase of 8.4 per cent in the 12 months to August, the Office for National Statistics revealed yesterday.

In the Barrow area, average prices are £80,000 to £90,000 for terraces and in the region of £200,000-plus for traditional bay-window semi-detacheds.

Regionally, there is strong demand for fewer homes, said Cumberland Estate Agents.

Managing director Graeme MacLeod said: "We continue to see steady growth on houses prices in Cumbria, fuelled by strong demand against reduced numbers of new instructions.

"A feature of the market over the past 18 months or so is that newly listed properties coming to market have been lower than in recent years, but buyer demand is strong."

David Corrie, director of Corrie and Co Independent Letting and Sales Agents, said: "Our stock levels are down by 20 per cent on last year.

"We have a chronic lack of properties for sale. As soon as they come to the market, there's a huge rush of interest."

Mr MacLeod confirmed this, adding: "We have daily examples of properties selling in the first few days of marketing and often at or above the guide price. Buyer activity is buoyant on the back of low priced mortgages due to the consistently low interest rates."

Prices are strong and rising in the area, said Mr Corrie, who has just sold a four-bedroom terraced town house in the centre of Ulverston for £250,000.

"Villages and Ulverston have seen prices rise by 10 to 15 per cent," he said. "Traditional bay-windowed family semis are incredibly popular and can sell for more than £200,000.

"In the stronger parts of Barrow they go for £230,000 to £240,000, as opposed to the terraces which sell for £80,000 to £90,000."

In England, London continues to be the area with the highest average house price at £489,000, while the lowest average price continues to be in the North East at £127,000.

Mr MacLeod said: "Deposits still remain a struggle for many, but frequently loans and gifts of deposits from mum and dad ease the problem.

"There was a small wobble after the tax changes back in March which has made investor buys more difficult due to the increased second homes stamp duty.

"And then of course there was Brexit too, but neither of these two significant events have dampened sales rates and buyer enthusiasm. This contained buyer demand inevitably leads to the prices continuing to rise, good news for home owners."