The trend-bucking growth in London house prices has been one of the biggest property stories so far this year. While the national figure for annual house price inflation has hovered around 10% (according to Nationwide figures), in prime central London, by contrast, the most expensive homes have risen in value by an astounding 30% in the past year, according to Knight Frank. The average London house price now exceeds £335,000, according to Land Registry figures out today; for England and Wales the average is £180,594.

But why?

Here, in this podcast recorded by property website BuyAssociation, Judith Heywood, Times deputy property editor, and Yolande Barnes, Savills market guru, delve deep into the reasons behind the city's runaway success.

To download an MP3 of the podcast, right click here and choose "save target as"

Multimedia

• London property hotspot map

The London property market

Background

• Perfect pads for city boys

• The retreat from Moscow

• London’s über-rich call the shots

• For sale for £65m

• The Luxury issue...

Background

• West is still the best

• The Common calling

• The secret side of SW7

• The wealth of nations

• Which tribe are you in?

Background

• London’s über-rich call the shots

• Start spreading the mews

• Paradise row with knobs on

• It's bonus time, let the stampede begin

To listen to the podcast here and now, click here for a Windows stream

Fancy some futher reading? Check out these links:

Spree by super-rich raises prices even for first-time buyers

London property prices start to slow

The London property market

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