Towns with the highest anticipated house price growth this year include Lochgelly, Paisley, Greenock and Aberdeen in Scotland, east Londons Hackney and Chatham and Dartford in the south east according to a report from the Halifax (www.hbosplc.com).
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Liverpool in the north west of the country is tipped as a property hot spot as well, along with Newport and Pontypool in Wales.
Lochgelly, Paisley and Greenock are forecast to have the strongest price growth in Scotland. The combination of lower than average prices and good transport links into Glasgow or Edinburgh will attract the attention of bargain hunters, says the report.
Regeneration leading up to the 2012 Olympics will attract buyers to Hackney, along with the planned Crossrail line in London where the first trains are due to run in 2017.
Chatham and the other Medway towns in Kent are likely to record significant price increases with demand boosted by the planned opening of high-speed commuter services from central London to north and east Kent in 2009.
Dartford and surrounding area in Kent also is likely to witness a lift in the local property market with the launch of Ebbsfleet international railway station in November. There are four trains an hour in peak time between Ebbsfleet, Paris and Brussels. From December next year, high-speed domestic services also will run, with a 15-minute journey time to St Pancras in London.
