House prices went up 1.4% last month, so says the Halifax.
This brought house prices to 5.5% higher than the same month last year, so the Halifax disclosed today.
This brings the average UK house price to £173,498, so the mortgage lender's data illustrates.
February's rise more than makes up for a 0.2 per cent fall in January, and sees annual house price inflation rise to its highest level since June last year.
The Halifax considers that house prices will carry on strengthening over the next few months, before declining at the end 2006, 3% higher than 2005.






