• Annual house price growth edges up to 4.5%

• 0.6% month-on-month rise in February

• More households in England own outright than with a mortgage

Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's Chief Economist, said: "The annual rate of house price growth was little changed in February at 4.5%, only slightly higher than the 4.3% recorded in January. House prices increased by 0.6% over the month, after taking account of seasonal factors. "Recent data suggests that the UK economy has continued to perform relatively strongly. The economy accelerated slightly in Q4, expanding by a healthy 0.7% quarter-on-quarter, and the unemployment rate remained stable at an 11-year low of 4.8%.