The proportion of consumers surveyed in the September 2010 BSA Property Tracker Survey who do not think that this is a good time to buy a property has risen to 26% in September from 21% in June.
The proportion of consumers who think that now is a good time to buy a property was largely the same at 44% compared to 45% in June.
The lack of job security and the ability to raise a deposit remain the greatest barriers to property purchase with 56% of respondents choosing each of these barriers.
The average 12 month house price forecast was flat in September compared to a 2.4% rise in June. Concerns over future falls in property prices was chosen as a barrier by 27% of respondents in September, an increase of 8 percentage points compared to 19% in June.
The Property Tracker survey is conducted quarterly by YouGov plc for the Building Societies Association. The total sample size in September 2010 was 2,092 adults.
Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the BSA, said: “It is clear that concerns about future falls in property prices are having a significant impact on consumer confidence. Whilst the survey indicates that consumers perceive access to a mortgage as less of an issue than in March (50% in September compared to 57% in March)