T HE average prices of properties advertised in Stoke-on-Trent rose slightly last year but dropped slightly in the Newcastle area. The average asking price in the city was £121,000 last year compared to £119,400 in 2010, an increase of 1.4 per cent.

The most expensive property advertised for sale last year in this area was an inter-war, four-bedroom detached property in Trentham at £775,0000 and at the other end of the scale the cheapest was a two-bedroom Victorian terrace house in Burslem marketed at £25,000.

The most expensive area in 2011 was Trentham with an average advertised price of £185,900 and the cheapest was Bentilee with an average of £66,400.

In Stoke-on-Trent the average asking price for a detached house fell fractionally by one per cent to £188,900 in 2011, down from £190,800 in 2010.

For a semi-detached house the respective figures were £109,100, down almost nine per cent from £119,600 in 2010, for a terrace house they were £86,500, up five per cent from £82,300 and flats and apartments stayed virtually the same, at £77,800 from £77,200.

In the Newcastle borough average prices dropped by more than four per cent to £151,700 from £158,700.

The most expensive property advertised last year was a modern four bedroom detached house in Betley, at £750,000, and the cheapest a three bedroom Victorian terrace near the town centre that was advertised at £45,000.

The Westlands was the most expensive area to buy a property, with an average asking price of £228,000 and the cheapest was Knutton, at £88,800.

On average the asking price of detached homes in the borough fell by more than four per cent to £222,100 last year in 2011 from £232,600 in 2010.

Semi-detached ones dropped by the same amount, to £131,100 from £137,200; terraces fell by slightly more than two per cent to an average of £101,600 from £103,800 but there was an increase in the price for flats and apartments which increased by nine per cent to an average of £97,200 in 2011 from £89,200 in 2010.

The figures come from statistician, Knud Moller, of KVM Research which provides data used by Hanley Economic Building Society and other sources in the estate agency industry locally.

Clive Austerberry, of Austerberry estate agency, says: "There is more realism creeping into the market.

"These statistics refer to asking prices and generally asking prices are falling and therefore on the basis that asking prices are falling, selling prices are also falling and the property market is once again becoming more tempting for ready, willing and able buyers.

"The moral here seems to be that if you take realistic, professional advice when you put your house on the market you will find out rather more quickly what a buyer is prepared to pay and what the true value of your house is.

Overprice your house and you are not likely to see much action in terms of viewings and a sale.

"Project properties are selling well as are good yielding buy-to-let investments and properties which are the best examples of their type available in a particular area – but still they have to be realistically priced."

For more information log onto www.kvmresearch.co.uk