Most houses in Sussex will be worth more than £200,000 in five years' time.

The county will have the fastest growing property prices in the UK, up by more than 35 per cent in some hot spots, according to a survey out today.

Brighton and Hove, and parts of Sussex, have seen some of the biggest price increases in the UK over the past two years.

Average prices of detached houses in the city have risen to £213,612, semi-detached to £151,533, terraced to £155,635 and flats and maisonettes to more than £100,000.

The survey, by Your mortgage magazine, is predicting a 33.1 per cent price rise in the city, which would see those prices increase to about £300,000 for detached, £200,000 for semis and terraced houses and more than £130,000 for flats by 2006.

It predicts property prices will rise by 32.7 per cent in West Sussex by the end of 2006, with a 31.5 per cent increase in Worthing, 34.9 per cent in Chichester and 35.6 per cent in Horsham.

At present the average prices in West Sussex are £236,422 for a detached property, £136,746 for a semi-detached property, £111,320 for a terraced house and £79,159 for a flat or maisonette.

In East Sussex an average rise of 32.7 per cent is projected, with Hastings coming out of the doldrums and seeing a steady increase of 29.8 per cent.

Already there is evidence of speculative buyers purchasing properties to let out in the town.

In Eastbourne, the survey predicts the rise in prices, fuelled by the growing popularity of the Sovereign Harbour development, will be 34.4 per cent.

Lewes, which is expected to be within the boundaries of the new South Downs National Park, is projected to have price rises of 32.8 per cent.

In East Sussex, latest figures show detached houses sell for £205,391, semi- detached £115,794 and terraced £94,266, with flats way down at £61,390, mainly due to the large numbers of cheap flats in Hastings.

The increases mean it will be more and more difficult for young people to get on the property ladder.

To get the smallest flat in Brighton and Hove with a 100 per cent mortgage, people will have to have a single or joint income of about £32,000.

The figures take account of the economic conditions, including unemployment, population shifts and the popularity of the areas as places to live.

But the survey discounts fears of a huge downturn in the property market in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the United States.

Phil Graves, of estate agents Graves Jenkins, which has branches across Sussex, was not surprised by the projected increase.

He said: "The jury is out on what will happen in the property market at the moment. This is a brave survey, which reflects the optimistic and positive view held by many.

"The city, and the rest of the county, is a great place to live and that is why more and more people are willing to pay as much as they can to live here."

Andrew Stuart, editor in chief of Your Mortgage, said: "Latest house price figures for Sussex and Brighton reflect a projected slowdown across the property market.

"This is good news for the market in general as it indicates property prices will not crash as they did in the late Eighties."