However, prices dipped slightly on a monthly basis, falling by 0.2 per cent from March, marking the second successive monthly price fall and the third in the past six months.

The lender said monthly movements can be volatile and the quarter-on-quarter change is a more reliable indicator of the underlying trend.

On a quarterly measure, prices rose by 2.3 per cent between February and April compared to the previous three months.

Meanwhile, the number of home sales and mortgage approvals dropped in March.

Home sales decreased by 5 per cent for the first time in ten months to 106,070, but they still remain 29 per cent higher than in March 2013, while mortgage approvals – a leading indicator of completed house sales – also fell for the second month in succession to 67,135. Approvals are 12 per cent below their recent peak in January and at the same level as seen in September last year.

Despite this, Halifax said housing demand still “remains strong”.

Stephen Noakes, mortgages director, at Halifax said: “Housing demand continues to be supported by an economic recovery that is gathering pace, rising consumer confidence, low interest rates and wage growth finally beginning to outgrow consumer prices. However, with supply of properties being slow to respond to market conditions, stronger demand in the past year has resulted in upward pressure on house prices.”

Figures released last week by Nationwide showed house prices rose by 10.9 per cent year-on-year in April, the first annual double digit growth since April 2010.