House price growth to continue

House price growth is set to continue with one in three people expecting house prices to power ahead in 2007, according to a survey by financial website This is Money.

This is Money polled 1500 people. More than half of said they expect property prices to rise next year (55%) with a hardcore of optimists (6%) expecting values to increase by more than 20%.

One in three voters questioned predict another year of surging prices, expecting house price increases of more than 6%.

The thisismoney poll shows confidence for 2007 with 20% forecasting that house prices would rise by 6% to 10%, and a further 10% predicting the cost of a home would soar by 11% or more.

But, the largest opinion - 25% said prices would rise by up to 5%.

A fall in house prices of more than 6% was predicted by a quarter of those polled by This is Money, with a hardcore of pessimists (10%) forecasting a crash of more than 20%.

A substantial drop of between 6% and 10% was suggested by 12% of people, while a more modest tumble of up to 5% was called by 11%.