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Nationally, the value of the average home rose by 0.1% between May and June to £153,046. 

Although some areas continued their negative trend, properties in the South West saw an average rise of 0.4%, the second highest in the country after the West Midlands (up 0.5%).  "This is the first time in well over a year that the monthly change has been positive," the Land Registry survey said.

Despite this encouraging news the average home was down 14% on the same month last year. The survey went on to say, "...as the monthly increase is only 0.1%, the movement does not signal a return to solid growth, but rather flattening prices."

There was a considerable drop in activity in the housing market at the start of the year with a total of 30,997 sales completed between January and April compared to 59,948 during the same period last year.

The Land registry report is based on the actual sale price at completion rather than mortgage data and is therefore widely recognised as the most authoritative property price survey.