Confidence in the housing market has fallen despite low interest rates and rising house prices, new research shows.
The latest monthly Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker showed the proportion of the Britons who expect property prices to rise against those who think it will fall has slipped to +58, down from +64 in March.
At the same time the net proportion of consumers who now believe the next 12 months will be a good time to buy has increased from +21 in March to +26 in April.
Although the net proportion who think that the next year will be a good time to sell has fallen from +33 to +30.
While 63% of people expected the average property price to be higher in one year's time, that is significantly lower than the 67% who said the same in March.
Halifax predicted that the housing outlook will improve over the next few months due to record low mortgage rates, falling swap rates and negative inflation in April, which should ensure interest rates remain low.
With further support from rising employment levels, the consumer housing outlook improve over the next few months.
Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax, said: "With inflation now at its lowest level since records began, unemployment falling, and the economy still growing, the fundamentals for the housing market remain positive.
"Going forward the key factor in how consumers adjust to any changes in rates will be the way in which they manage their disposable income."
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