House prices will see "very little growth" in 2008, a firm of chartered surveyors has predicted.

In recent weeks, forecasts from a number of different financial and property experts have suggested that next year will see price growth halt entirely but Robert Bryant-Pearson, the chief executive of Allied Surveyors, said that this may not be accurate.

"[It] masks the fact that there will be certain sectors that will see a decline whilst others such as well located family homes in the middle market will continue to enjoy healthy demand," he explained.

He suggested that other properties, such as one and two-bedroom city centre properties may fall in price, with buyers having the opportunity to "capitalise on a weaker market".

The Bank of England''s decision to reduce interest rates to 5.5 per cent last week and the prospect of further reductions "will ease the pain of mortgage costs for the vast majority" of people, Mr Bryant-Pearson added.

Dispelling fears that the housing market is heading towards a crash, he said: "We have been witnessing a blip, not the first wave of a disaster."