Britons expect house prices to rise in 2013 according to the latest Housing Market Confidence Tracker form Halifax.
38% of respondents expect house prices to rise over the next 12 months, compared to just 18% who think prices will drop.
This increase of +20 is the highest reading since the survey began in April 2011 and beats the previous high of +19 from March 2012. The reading is up on October when the balance stood at +15.
53% of respondents said that it would be a good time to buy a property in 2013, four times the level of respondents who believe it is a good time to sell.
Halifax housing economist Martin Ellis said: “Conditions in the housing market have been largely unchanged over the past 12 months, with little overall movement in either house prices or sales for the second consecutive year.
“This remarkable stability, given the poor domestic and overseas economic climate, has probably been a key driver of the improvement in sentiment regarding the outlook for house prices over the coming year.”
