According to the latest survey published by property website Zoopla, 67% of homeowners questioned in the first quarter of 2012 expect property prices to increase over the next six months.That compares to just 55% at the end of 2011.
Homeowners also now think house prices will grow by more than they did at the end of 2011. At that point, they predicted an average 2.2% rise in their local area, while by the end of March that figure had risen to an average of 3.9%.
In London the picture is even more positive, with confidence levels running at an all-time high. In the capital 82% of homeowners think prices will rise over the next six months, by an average of 5.5%.
Sentiment about mortgage finance is also improving, with 17% of respondents saying they think it is getting easier to access a mortgage, compared to 11% last quarter.
Nicholas Leeming of Zoopla.co.uk said: “The property market has been in need of some positive news of late as many indicators have pointed toward stagnant prices. These results show that homeowners now feel a lot more positive than at the end of last year and this confidence could bolster transaction and activity levels as we move further into the year.”
