A FOUR-MONTH run of rising asking prices came to an end in June as homeowners trimmed the amount they put their properties on the market for, research will show today.

The average asking price dipped by 0.4% during the five weeks to June 13 to £226,436, according to property website Rightmove.

The group said asking prices were still 6% higher than in January, with June’s drop only partially offsetting the 2.4% jump seen in May. The average home in England and Wales now costs only 5.5% less than it did in June last year, down from a 6.2% difference in May.

But, despite the improvement since the beginning of the year, and an influx of potential buyers, Rightmove warned that the ongoing mortgage shortage would continue to create problems.

There has been a run of positive data on the housing market in recent weeks, with increased buyer enquiries showing signs of translating into sales, while both Halifax and Nationwide reported house prices rises during May.

Miles Shipside, commercial director of Rightmove, said: “It’s a mistake to confuse the upturn in enquiries and sales with a return to a more normal market.”