The strength of the housing market varies widely across the country this spring with prime property areas achieving larger-than-average price rises which put a healthy glow on the entire market.

That is the conclusion of several market analyses this week - with a common theme emerging of nervous buyers in many areas holding off until the election gives a clearer direction to our political prospects.

If supply keeps rising while demand falls, commentators also fear prices could weaken later in the year.

In its April survey Hometrack says vendors across the country can expect to get an average 94 per cent of their asking price - against 89% in April 2009.

The time needed to sell has levelled off too, at an average of 8.3 weeks. This is against 10 weeks at this time last year.

Hometrack said: "There has been evidence for some months that the supply/demand balance has been changing steadily, but the buyer slowdown has been exacerbated by the announcement of a May election."

Hometrack currently predicts "less upward pressure" on prices in the near term rather than a fall. It says average prices actually rose 0.2 per cent in April to produce a year-on-year rate of 1.8 per cent - up from 1.3 per cent last month.

However, Hometrack's Richard Donnell said the increase is skewed by above-average rises in London which distort the overall headline rate of national growth.

In Wales, sellers are having a much tougher time - getting only 91.4 per cent of their asking price to secure an average £120,000.

Also, in north-east England sellers are getting just 91.8 per cent of their asking price for an average selling figure of £100,600.

At Primelocation, a property portal for estate agency firms such as Savills and Knight Frank, demand for top-end property is strongest in the South East, London and the South West with monthly price growth of two per cent, 1.7 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively.

The rises reflect the wide gulf in incomes: For big earners, there is simply not enough quality housing to meet demand.

Top-end property in Scotland was the most consistent performer of the lot over the past year. Prime property rose in value by 7.8 per cent, with platinum prime up by 12.7 per cent.

Andrew Smith, research director at Primelocation, said: "Wealthy UK and overseas buyers will be largely unconstrained by the financial impact of any tax changes and the prospect of a new Government may even act as a tonic for prime real estate, helping to strengthen the already-improving consumer optimism."

Primelocation says the national average prime property value rose 0.5% in April to £449,689, while the average prime platinum price rose by 1.1 per cent to £625,849.

Builders of new homes, however, sound less confident.

The Housing Market Report (HMR), from the Home Builders Federation (HBF), says: "The election will provide a hiatus in housing-market activity.

"Fear of post-election tax increases and severe spending cuts may influence buyer behaviour. The excess of demand over supply, which drove up 2009 prices, will be eliminated in 2010 as more supply comes onto the market."

However, the report says builders managed to raise prices in February, "the seventh successive monthly rise".

It adds: "The industry also continued to edge down its use of sales incentives in February, a trend extending back to July last year."