The cost of an average family home has leapt by almost 10 per cent from £252,000 to £273,000, official figures showed yesterday. 

In March alone prices rose by £4,000 and now that uncertainty created by the General Election has passed they could go up even faster. 

According to the Office for National Statistics, the 9.6 nationwide rise was powered by a 

14.6 per cent increase in Scotland.

This was followed by an 11.4 per cent rise in the East, and 11.2 per cent increases in the South-east and London.

Jonathan Hopper, managing director of buying agents Garrington Property Finders, said:  “Demand is even stronger now the electoral uncertainty is past, and even though supply has improved dramatically there is more than enough momentum to keep driving prices higher.”

Alex Gosling, chief of online estate agents House Simple, said: “Buyer interest has picked up noticeably in the past week.”

Buyer confidence has been boosted by lower stamp duty bills, rising employment and pay increases as well as falling inflation.

Excluding London and the South-east, UK house prices increased by 8.1 per cent in the 12 months to March 2015 – an unusually high figure. 

Several regions now have record prices, including the East, East Midlands, West Midlands, South-east and the South-west.

Experts including Miles Shipside of Rightmove and Ray Boulger of brokers John Charcol have forecast a four per cent – £11,000 – rise this year.

But Stephen Smith, a director at the Legal & General Mortgage Club, sounded a note of caution, warning that soaring prices lock many people out of the property market.

He said: “Ideally, prices would grow at or around the same level as inflation so that prices don’t rise faster than people can save a deposit.

“The key to achieving this lies in building more houses so supply can keep up with demand. 

"The new Government needs to address the insufficient level of housebuilding by building 250,000 extra houses a year.”

www.express.co.uk