Homeowners in Hertfordshire are among the most optimistic in the country when it comes to confidence in the local property market.

According to the latest Sentiment Survey results from Zoopla, 90 per cent of people from the East of England – which includes Herts – said they expect house prices to increase over the next six months.

This placed the region second only to the East Midlands (93 per cent) for homeowner confidence.

Country-wide, 84 per cent of Brits said they expect local prices to rise, an increase of 14 per cent since the survey was last carried out in November 2017.

On average, Brits predict a 6.9 per cent price increase in their area over the next six months, up from 4.9 per cent last November – the largest increase in consumer confidence since the first half of 2016.

East of England homeowners also have above average expectations where the level of price increase is concerned, with a 7.6 per cent rise predicted - up from the 4.4 per cent anticipated last November.

Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla, said: “It’s encouraging to see a bounce-back in consumer confidence in the market – it’s the largest increase we’ve seen since 2016.

“This shows that homeowners are starting to regain their confidence in the property market, with those in the East of the UK having the most optimism.”