Of this eager group of buyers, 38 per cent will be taking the plunge this year, with one in three expecting to move in 2009.
The next five years are thought to see a shift in levels of supply and demand so that for every four home buyers there will be five sellers.
Most Britons' plans remain largely unaffected by the threat of price drops, with over half saying that they will buy within the next five years regardless. Furthermore, 86 per cent of people hoping to sell their home in the next five years are not changing those plans on the strength of the long-awaited crash prediction.
However Fool.co.uk is predicting that the average house price will tumble by as much as 20 per cent during 2008, taking the new average back down to just £157,000 - something which could prompt even larger numbers of potential buyers to reassess their purchasing gameplan.
However, linear regression analysis of house-price data suggests that house prices could radically correct in 2008. It is estimated that the value of a typical home could fall a fifth (20%) to £157,290 in 2008. That said, house-price growth should revert to the long-term rate of between 8% and 9% after that.
David Kuo, head of personal finance at Fool.co.uk, advised buyers that they should not be "unduly concerned about getting the timing right."
