The property price forecasts are circulating, as they always do towards the end of the calendar year, and the opinion appears to be unanimous - the Southeast of England will have the best performing property market over the next 4-5 years, compared to all other regions in the UK including London.

Savills got the ball rolling at the end of August by predicting that the Southeast will rise by 31.6% between 2014 and 2018 with growth this year alone of 12% followed by 17.5% growth over the next four years (15-18). The firm predicts that between the start of this year and the end of 2018, property in the Southeast will rise almost 30% faster than in London, which is expected to more or less be at a standstill between 2016 and 2018.

In early October a new forecast by Rightmove and Oxford Economics predicted price rises of 32% for England and Wales over the next five years (15-19). However, unlike Savills, this forecast expects London prices to rise faster than the national average (by 36%), but again the expectations for the Southeast were highest, with 40% price growth expected. The North East was predicted to be the slowest riser but will still go up by 25%.

The forecast was based on property and economic data rather than on opinion and short-term market factors. Rightmove reported: 'It takes into account both asking and sold prices, surveyor valuations and analytics from the Oxford Economics' Global, Industry and Regional forecasting models.'