The Halifax reports that house prices are likely to remain flat in 2013.

The mortgage lender says outlook for the housing market is 'more unclear than usual'. It reported a 1% monthly rise in November but a year-on-year fall of 1.3%. This is in opposition to a Nationwide report which stated that house prices remained the same year on year, January to January, with a 0.5% rise in January 2013 but preceeded by falls in 11 or the 13 regions. They also report a widening gap in the north/south property price divide.

Halifax report that the south-east and London is the most likely region to experience house price growth in 2013.

A major part of the problem is that first-time buyers continue to struggle to secure mortgage loans and that ever rising energy bills and stagnant wage growth will continue to restrict the number of homebuyers.