House prices up 0.2% in February, says Nationwide

UK house prices rose by 0.2% in February compared with the previous month, but were the same as a year ago, the Nationwide has said.
The building society said that the average UK home cost £162,638.
The figures, based on its own mortgage data, signalled the lack of movement in prices in the last two years, it said.
But there were "tentative signs" of a pick-up in activity in recent months owing to the relative strength of the jobs market.
"While the economic backdrop remains challenging, there are reasons for cautious optimism that activity will gather momentum in the months ahead," said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist.