Rising house prices remain a challenge for people looking to gain a foothold in an increasingly out-of-reach housing market, but they have a very strong correlation to the share prices of big retailers that sell hardware, furniture and big-screen televisions.

Stockbroker Jarden, which has been tracking the data for 20 years, says that since 2004, there has been a 90 per cent correlation between upward moves in house prices and a rise in the share prices of retailers such as electronics seller JB Hi-Fi, Bunnings owner Wesfarmers and furniture group Nick Scali.