More people want house prices to fall than to rise, survey shows

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The survey found that 28 per cent of respondents wanted a drop in property prices, compared with 22 per cent who hoped for an increase.

And in an indication that crash fears may be misplaced, almost two-thirds said a fall of more than 10 per cent would not negatively impact on their household spending.

The BBC-commissioned research comes on the back of a series of gloomy data from the mortgage industry.

In April average house prices fell by 1.3 per cent, according to the UK's largest lender, Halifax. It contributed to the first year-on-year drop since February 1996.

The poll suggests that for some people this negative trend may be welcomed.

The survey found that 28 per cent of respondents wanted a drop in property prices, compared with 22 per cent who hoped for an increase

In addition, nearly half of those asked said they wanted house prices to stay the same.

A stagnation or fall in prices could help hard-pushed first-time buyers who have struggled in recent years in the face of high price hikes.

It could also encourage those hoping to trade up to a larger house in the near future.

And with the underlying UK economy far stronger than it was during the property bust of the early 1990s, fears of the impact of a sizeable fall in house prices appear to be less pronounced.

More than 60 per cent said a drop of more than a 10th would make no difference to their spending plans or make them likely to spend more.

That compared with 38 per cent who said it would make them more likely to cut back.