Nineteen thousand pounds is being knocked off the price of homes by property sellers in a bid to attract more buyers.

Research by property portal Zoopla.co.uk show that over a third of all properties currently on the market have seen their price reduced at least once. Sellers are now cutting 7.1 per cent off the original price which is the largest average price fall for more than twelve months.

The report also found that the reduction is now £2,500 more than last year and experts are continuing to reiterate the emergence of the North/South divide. Currently nine out of the top ten areas with the highest average asking price discount are in the north. Bolton, Rotherham, Newcastle and Huddersfield are all in the top ten list as is Doncaster, which has seen almost half of all properties on the market being reduced in price at least once from the asking price.

Figures from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors also found that agents are struggling to complete sales and are still only selling one property a month for every four that they are marketing.

The situation is very different in London however, where the average price reduction at the top end of the property market such as properties priced over £1million, is at one its lowest levels for the past year. Many people are putting London's revival down to the large demand for prime London properties by international buyers.