Home buyer enquiries have increased by 12% in October, extending the run of positive returns for a fourth consecutive month, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed.

The institute said that this result was little changed from the 13% increase recorded in September.

Agreed sales also increased by 9% in the same period, a jump from 5% in the previous month.

This marks the third successive reading in positive sales, having floated below zero for most of the last two years.

In this time, 16% of survey participants reported a rise in house prices in October. RICS noted that this compares to 11% in September, and no change in August.

Northern Ireland, Scotland, the North West, North East and London have all exhibited "firmly positive net balances" for the house price metric.

Going forward, RICS said that a rising share of respondents are now of the opinion that house prices will continue to drift higher over the coming three months, with the net balance moving to 20%, up from 12% in September.

Moreover, almost all parts of the UK are expected to see a rise in house prices in the year to come, led by continued robust growth across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Managing director of real estate at Shawbrook, Emma Cox, said: "Despite uncertainty in the run up to the Budget, optimism continued to encourage new buyer enquiries and sales figures to grow in October as aspiring and current homeowners look to tie up transactions before the end of the year.

"With the stamp duty relief for first time buyers not being extended into the new tax year in the Autumn Budget, we can expect this to continue with first-time buyers keen to complete prior to the end of March.

"The new Government has reiterated the importance of a healthy property sector and there continues to be a clear need for a professional private rental sector in the UK. Therefore, we hope to see the Government working with professional landlords to support them to invest in their properties in order to continue to offer quality, energy efficient accommodation for our nation’s private renters."

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