THE North West's housing market "continued to stutter" in October, according to RICS.

Demand from buyers and agreed sales fell, and nearly half the region's agents saw house prices rise, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

North West agents reported a rise in the average number of homes on their books - 59 in October, up from 51 in September. But house sales failed to pick up, with agents reporting a lack of buyer inquiries, according to RICS.

On a more positive note, 20 per cent of agents who responded to the survey said they expected sales to rise in the next three months. RICS says buyers could be "in for a long wait" until they get the keys to their new home, as the research showed it is now taking longer to complete a sale. The average time is now 18-and-a-half weeks nationally.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: "The combination of the increased cost of moving, a lack of fresh affordable stock coming to the market, uncertainty over the political climate and now an interest rate hike appears to be taking its toll on activity in the North West’s housing market."

In the lettings market, no agents reported a rise in demand from tenants during October. Richard Towler, of Eden Lettings & Management in Penrith, said: "A reduction in the number of applicants, perceived to be the result of the loss of European candidates following the Brexit vote, has altered the supply/demand equation in the rental sector, causing an increase in the number of failed lettings. The future remains uncertain for the rental market."