House prices show little movement in 2010 – with a slight month-on-month fall of 0.6% from April to June, according to the Halifax House Price Index.

House prices in June were still 6.3% higher year-on-year and much the same as at the start of 2010, says the report.

Prices are 7.5% above their April 2009 trough despite the modest decline over the past few months. The average house price is now £166,203 – 17% below its August 2007 peak

Martin Ellis, housing economist at the Halifax, said: “House prices fell by 0.6% in June following a similar decline in May.  Prices in the April to June quarter were largely unchanged compared with the first three months of the year.

“This continued the slowdown in house price growth since the beginning of the year following the moderate recovery in prices during much of 2009.  This pattern is in line with our view that house prices will be broadly unchanged over 2010 as a whole.

Meanwhile, more search by the Halifax reveals that the cost of owning and running a home has declined by 6% over the past two years.

Between April 2008 and April 2010, the average annual costs linked with owning and running a home fell by £544 from £9,564 to £9,020.

In real terms  after allowing for inflation, the cost of housing has fallen by 9% in the period. Housing costs in the UK are now about 27% of gross average full-time earnings, down from 30% in 2008.