House prices rose 2.3% in November, compared with a year ago, a slightly higher increase than in October, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday.

Average house prices are now at the same level as in April 2003 and are still down 19.2% on their August 2008 high.

The number of properties changing hands in November was up 10.6% on a year ago, the Land Registry said last week. With one month of 2014 to go, nearly 130,000 houses have been sold – up 35.5% on 2013.