House sales dropped dramatically over the last year according to Land Registry figures. 230,000 houses were sold in the final quarter of 2004 compared with 301,000 during the same period in 2003, a drop of 24 % and a similar level of activity to the early 1990s. Miles Shipside, of the property website Rightmove, said: “We can expect their next set of figures to show a further decline of volumes and prices.” The average sale price in England and Wales rose by 11.82% to £182,920 year on year, a drop from the previous year’s increase of 12.62%. The final quarter of 2004 saw prices drop by 2.7%. The sharpest falls came in London where prices fell by 3.7%. Only Wales bucked the trend with a quarterly rise of 1%.