Housing market activity is to be "sustained" throughout the year, according to a high profile property organisation.

Housing market activity is to be "sustained" throughout the year, according to a high profile property organisation.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) was responding to the Land Registry's latest price report, which showed that the average price of a house in England and Wales rose by 4.6 per cent during the last quarter of 2005.

House prices in the north of England grew on average by ten per cent compared to the same period in 2004. The south-west registered the least amount of growth across the regions, with the average price of a property gaining in value by 0.5 per cent.

However, the south-west is reported to have seen the largest rise in transaction volumes, with 20 per cent more properties being sold than a year earlier.

Rics economist David Stubbs said that house price data from mortgage lenders had detected a strong market for some months.

"Rics expects the upturn in housing activity to be sustained, supported by a recovery in economic growth and a possible interest rate cut in the coming months," he added.