ADULTS in the UK are more concerned about property prices today than at any point in half a decade.

More people are anxious about home prices and the availability of properties now than any time the last five years, a new survey has found.

Some 83 per cent of people believe house prices are a “serious” problem, up from 77 per cent five years ago, according to the Homeowners Survey 2018, and 77 per cent say availability of housing is now a major concern, up from 69 per cent in 2014.

Among aspiring first-time buyers, the proportion saying house prices and saving for a deposit is a serious problem is up over the past year at 86 per cent and 87 per cent respectively.

“The housing sector in the UK is on its knees,” said Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance.

“There’s a shortage of building, a constant stream of stories surrounding poor quality and unfair deals for home owners, a lack of social housing, rising homelessness and a leasehold system that is dangerously broken.

“As our survey shows, these problems have escalated over the last five years and the crisis is deepening.

"People are just as keen as in previous years to own a home but the system is failing them, despite the introduction of flagship schemes like Help to Buy.”

The research also found the much-criticised leasehold system is the fastest growing housing issue for the second year running with 56 per cent of UK adults now citing it as a serious concern, up from 50 per cent in 2017.

Ms Higgins added: “It’s telling that leasehold issues have been by far the fastest growing concern for the last two years. The Government needs to hurry up with plans for leasehold reform and be more ambitious.”

The results of the survey paint a bleak picture for both the UK housing industry and potential home owners, according to Kim Vernau, chief executive of BLP Insurance.

She added: “Concerns around quality of build reflect the serious deficiencies in quality within design and build procurement which are severely impacting confidence in the housing sector.”