Poll shows 'steady' rise in prices expected

A new study has found that the average Briton believes house prices will be rising consistently by October 2010.

The First Direct poll established that 15 per cent of people anticipate such a situation to be in place by the end of this year, whereas another 16 per cent take a more pessimistic view and do not expect this trend to emerge until after 2012.

Such a situation may provide a hint of growing confidence that the housing market will soon start to recover, which could make the present a good time to buy a home ahead of any sea change.

A number of recent surveys have suggested that house prices are still falling, but not as quickly as last year.

The Financial Times House Price Index for March revealed that the average monthly fall in the first quarter of 2009 was 0.9 per cent, compared with 1.9 per cent in the final three months of last year.