HOUSE prices increased by 1.3 per cent – more than the average for the North West – in Barrow in March, new figures show.

The boost contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area achieve 3.4 per cent annual growth – though still the lowest in the North West.

The average Barrow house price in March was £137,816, Land Registry figures show – a 1.3 per cent increase on February.

Over the month, the picture was better than that across the North West, where prices increased 0.4 per cent, and Barrow outperformed the 0.3 per cent rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in Barrow rose by £4,600 – putting the area bottom among the North West’s 39 local authorities with price data for annual growth.

READ MORE: Barrow £120,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund boost after Covid-19 pandemic

Owners of semi-detached houses saw the biggest improvement in property prices in Barrow in March – they increased 1.7 per cent, to £168,064 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 3.9 per cent.

First-time buyers in Barrow spent an average of £123,100 on their property – £4,000 more than a year ago, and £25,400 more than in March 2017.