Recent statistics available from Lloyds TSB show that the average cost of homeowners moving to a new property currently stands at £8,922 which is a staggering 69 percent higher than homeowner’s moving costs merely a decade ago.

In fact homeowners, unable to sell home fast are facing costly moving fees which have risen at a quicker rate than house prices in the last 10 years.

The largest bill in moving costs are estate agents’  fees which have always remained the most expensive single component equating to 38 percent  of the total cost with stamp duty equating to 21 percent of the total bill.

According to figures from Lloyds TSB, homeowners hoping to take their place on the second step of the property ladder face a “very tough challenge”.

It estimates that this year will also see the lowest annual number of house moves since 1974, with a nine per cent fall on 2010.

Suren Thiru, housing economist at Lloyds, remarked: “The issue of second stepper affordability is a key one in trying get the housing market moving again with the current difficulties in this segment of the market restricting the supply of starter properties for first time buyers as well as preventing many of those who need to move from doing so.”

The Bank of England has published a survey which has revealed the income available to households has fallen for the fifth year in a row, with people saying they have £46 less a month.

The study concludes that 2011 was a “challenging” year and that the economic recovery appears “to have slowed”.

Around half of the households questioned said they would spend less in response to financial pressures, while 16 per cent revealed they would work longer hours or take a second job.

Almost half of households said they had been affected in the past year by cuts brought in by the government, through lower incomes and higher taxes, while just over two-thirds expect to be affected next year.

If the answer is yes, you may be interested to hear that the traditional Christmas slowdown has begun in the housing market but sales made to first-time buyers have recovered slightly.

That is according to the latest figures from the National Association of Estate Agents, which revealed branches typically made six property sales in November, down from eight the previous month.

However, the percentage of sales being made to first-time buyers increased slightly, from 16 per cent in October to 19 per cent in November.

Wendy Evans-Scott, president of the NAEA, commented: “These latest figures indicate that the seasonal slowdown has already begun. Traditionally, activity does contract as house-hunters focus on events at Christmas with a view to picking up the search in the new year.”

If the answer is yes, you may be interested to hear that Britons are relatively confident about the future of the housing market, despite all the economic problems around at the moment.

The latest quarterly Property Tracker survey from the Building Societies Association showed that 44 per cent of people think now is a good time to buy a house, while a quarter felt it was not.

This is an improvement on March 2011, when the figures were 41 and 29 per cent respectively.

BSA head of mortgage policy Paul Broadhead commented: “Although there has been a stream of gloomy economic news recently and the uncertainty about the eurozone has increased dramatically, consumers’ views on the housing market remain remarkably solid.”

You may be interested to hear that consumer confidence in the housing market remains stable, despite the gloomy outlook for the economy.

That is according to the latest report from the Building Societies Association, which revealed 44 per cent of Britons felt that now was a good time to buy compared to 25 per cent who did not.

This was an improvement on March, when 41 per cent were positive about buying and 29 per cent were negative.

Commenting on the figures, BSA head of mortgage policy Paul Broadhead said: “Although there has been a stream of gloomy economic news recently and the uncertainty about the Eurozone has increased dramatically, consumers’ views on the housing market remain remarkably solid.

“Many people believe that it is currently a good time to buy, and about one in eight will be looking to enter the market or move in 2012, especially in London where 21 per cent intend to buy,” he added.

The latest outlook from Halifax building society suggested the housing market has stabilised in 2011, despite the challenging conditions in the economy as a whole.

However, that means prices are unlikely to increase in 2012, as the market looks set to remain relatively flat.

Halifax’s housing economist Martin Ellis remarked: “Overall, we expect continuing broad stability in house prices nationally during 2012.”

He added: “Prices are again likely to end the year at levels close to where they begin with the market continuing to lack any real direction.”

That is the conclusion of the latest Housing Market Outlook report from Hailfax building society.

It suggested the number of house sales in the property market and the supply of dwellings for sale have remained stable since late 2010.

These conditions have meant prices and sales have remained largely unchanged and meant the average price has changed little since then.

Halifax’s housing economist Martin Ellis remarked: “Overall, we expect continuing broad stability in house prices nationally during 2012. Prices are again likely to end the year at levels close to where they begin with the market continuing to lack any real direction.”

The building society’s latest report showed the average value of property in the UK increased by 0.4 per cent last month to £165,798 compared with October, a figure which was also 1.6 per cent higher than the equivalent for November 2010.

However, Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner predicted prices would stay the same or fall in the next 12 months.

“House prices have remained surprisingly resilient in recent months, despite the deterioration in the economic outlook,” he remarked. “But, with the UK economic recovery expected to remain sluggish well into 2012, house price growth is likely to remain soft, with prices moving sideways or drifting modestly lower over the next twelve months.”

That is the opinion of David Miles, a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, who also told a conference in York that typical first-time buyers could soon be in their forties.

Mr Miles went on to suggest that the housing market has been transformed since the 2007 crash, adding that the changes may be a good thing in the longer term.

“I do not believe that the housing market and the mortgage market will get back to where we were in the years leading up to the crisis. I also do not think we should regret that,” he said.