UK house prices ‘could rise by up to 4% in 2026 as interest rates fall’

City watchdog the FCA announces plans to help first-time buyers and self-employed get on the property ladder

• Business live - latest updates

House prices in the UK could grow by as much as 4% next year but getting on the property ladder may become slightly less difficult, according to forecasts from the lender Nationwide.

Robert Gardner, the chief economist at the building society, said prices are expected to rise somewhere between 2% and 4% next year.