HOUSE prices increased in Bolton in August, data shows.

​The ​boost ​contributes to the longer-term trend, which has seen property prices in the area ​achieve 3.2 per cent annual growth​.​

The average borough house price in August was £143,457, Land Registry figures reveal​ – a 1.4 per cent increase on July.

Over the month, the picture was ​similar to that across the north west, where prices ​increased 1.4 per cent​, and Bolton outperformed the 0.7 per cent rise for the UK as a whole.

Over the last year, the average sale price of property in the town ​​rose by £4,500 – putting the ​area 27th among the north west’s 39 local authorities for annual growth.

​The best annual growth in the region was in Tameside, where properties increased on average by 7.5 per cent, to £164,000.

​At the other end of the scale, properties in Hyndburn dropped 2.8 per cent in value, giving an average price of £96,000.

Winners and Losers

​Owners of detached houses saw the biggest improvement in property prices in Bolton in August – they increased 1.6 per cent, to £253,665 on average. Over the last year, prices rose by 3.9 per cent.

Among other types of property:

Terraced: up 1.3 per cent monthly; up 2.6 per cent annually; £113,385 average.

Flats: up 0.8 per cent monthly; remained level over the year; £91,825 average.

First steps on the property ladder

First-time buyers in Bolton spent an average of £​120,000 on their property – ​£3,400 more than a year ago, ​and ​£21,100 more than in August 2015.

By comparison, former owner-occupiers paid £​158,900 on average in August​ – 32.5 per cent more than first-time buyers.

How do property prices in Bolton compare?

Buyers paid 17.4 per cent less than the average price in the north west (£174,000) in August for a property in Bolton.

Across the north west, property prices are low compared to those across the UK, where the average cost £239,000.

The most expensive properties in the north west were in Trafford – £306,000 on average, and 2.1 times as much as in Bolton.

Trafford properties cost 3.4 times as much as homes in Burnley (£91,000 average), at the other end of the scale.

The highest property prices across the UK were in Kensington and Chelsea, where the average August sale price of £1.4 million could buy 15 properties in Burnley (average £91,000).