Confidence in the UK housing market is growing, assisted by government-backed initiatives such as the Help to Buy scheme, according to newly published research.
The scheme is particularly popular with young people, the study found.
The YouGov research for property services group Countrywide found that 51 per cent of homeowners think the value of their home will increase in 12 months' time, an increase of 17 per cent from the last such survey, in November 2012.
More than half of 18- to 24-year-olds believe they are likely to use the Help to Buy scheme compared to around a quarter of those aged between 25 and 54.
Around a third of private renters think they are likely to use it to buy a property in the next three years, around double the 16 per cent of homeowners who are considering it.
The study found that location is the most important factor when buying a property.
Some 36 per cent of people buying a property within the next three years would be least likely to compromise on location. This rises to 47 per cent among 35 to 44-year-olds compared with just 26 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.
Just under one in five of British adults are currently prevented from buying a property or moving home because they are unable to afford a deposit, a decrease of five per cent from the results in November 2012.
Grenville Turner, chief executive of Countrywide, said: "The survey findings reaffirm what our property experts view on a daily basis when dealing with many people looking to move home. There are signs of a rebalance in the housing market as recovery in housing volumes gathers momentum.
"Greater availability of higher loan-to-value mortgages, improving economic conditions, lower unemployment and the implementation of Government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy, have given consumers reasons to feel confident.
AAP