House prices surged unexpectedly last month, buoyed by a shortage of homes, according to a survey by Halifax.
The 5.9% rise was the biggest monthly jump since at least the 1980s and well above the 0.1% increase expected by economists.
Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, which has been running the monthly house price series since 1983, attributed part of the rise to a rebound in prices after a 2.9% fall in January.
