Three out of four people expect house prices to rise in the coming year according to a new property consumer sentiment survey.
One in five of those surveyed for the MyHome.ie study said they expected prices to remain static, while just 4% said prices will fall.
A quarter of respondents said they planned to purchase a property in the next 12 months, while just under a third said they had no plans to purchase a property.
The survey of 1,700 people was carried out by the property website this month.
While the largest proportion of respondents (47%) said house prices would increase by up to 5% - 25% said they would increase by between 5% and 10% while 4% said they would increase by more.
The survey also found three-bedroom houses remain the most sought after property type on 47%, followed by the four-bed on 33% and the two bed on 17%.
Almost half of respondents (45%) said the garden was the most important feature in a home, followed by an open plan kitchen on 22% and off street parking by 20%.
MD of MyHome.ie Angela Keegan said that while the findings reflected growing consumer confidence, it was clear the Central Bank's new lending rules were having a major impact on the market.
"Fifty one percent said the planned Central Bank review of its lending rules would make them consider holding off on a purchase for the time being while 28% said they didn't have the funds to pay a deposit.
“When we asked people for the factors which they believed would influence participation in the housing market, over 40% said lowering the deposit required, 38% said more stock coming on the market and 35% said confidence in the overall economy."
