HOUSE prices are on the up in Southend and across Castle Point, new figures have revealed.

The average Southend house price in July was £284,152 according to the Land Registry – a 1.5 per cent increase on June.

Over the month, the picture was better than across the East of England, where prices increased by just 0.1 per cent – and Southend easily outperformed the 0.5 per cent rise for the UK.

Over the past year, the average sale price of property in Southend has risen by £2,100.

There was also growth in Castle Point, where prices in July were averaging at £306,160, a 0.3 per cent increase on June.

It was also revealed first-time buyers in Southend spent an average of £240,500 on their property – £1,500 more than a year ago, and £71,000 more than in July 2014.

In Castle Point, the average was £255,100, £72,200 more than July 2014.

Dan Weaver, 51, who lives in Shoebury, rented for eight years with his wife before they could afford their own home.

He said: “It was just an endless cycle of looking, viewing places but then ultimately falling through because we couldn’t get the funds.

“For a while the rent was all we could afford, just about, and we had to rigorously save.

“I feel, looking at a lot of websites, that the pricing is even worse now. It’s a bit scary for future generations.”

Bill Dick, chairman of Castle Point’s development committee, said the borough had always been attractive for commuters.

He said: “You find many homes when they get built and go on the market, they don’t last very long and are snapped up quickly.

“If people have children it can also be difficult to afford new homes.

“Once people are on the property ladder it’s a lot simpler, but it’s getting on that ladder that’s difficult. We also don’t have a lot of opportunity for many bungalows to be built, so not a lot of people can downsize easily.”