Sunshine 'brings out home buyers'

9 May 2011 Last updated at 23:03 GMT  April produced some of the warmest temperatures on record in the UK for that month Good weather in April led to an increased number of viewings from potential UK house buyers, according to surveyors.

But difficulty in securing a mortgage hindered many of these potential buyers, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said.

Only the "cash-rich" were able to take advantage of lower prices, it added.

Surveyors who expect house prices to fall in the next three months outnumber those expecting values to rise.

Bounce

Spring is traditionally a busier time of year for the housing market, although lower prices also attracted some to look around homes.

Sales, as well as supply and demand of properties, all edged up in April, the Rics report said.

But this was only from a relatively low base, according to Rics housing spokesman Michael Newey.

"The return of sellers to the market is positive, but activity still remains subdued and it is difficult to see it picking up materially over the coming months," he said.

"Although there are signs that some lenders may be reducing their grip on the purse strings, in particular with mortgages aimed at first time buyers, there is still a long way to go before lending levels increase enough to have any real impact. Economic uncertainty may also continue to weigh on sentiment for a while to come."