House price rises picked up pace last month as uncertainty over the general election saw the number of properties coming on to the market drop to its lowest level for nearly six years, according to new figures.

The latest survey of members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found the shortage in supply of houses up for sale helped boost prices across every region of the UK for the first time last August.

It revealed that 33% more surveyors reported prices rising in April, up from 22% in March. This came as a net balance of minus 21% reported a fall in new instructions - the lowest reading since May 2009.

RICS said many sellers held off from putting properties up for sale in the run up to the general election, with demand also hit by the uncertainty.

This left activity sluggish across the property sector, with the reading for agreed sales standing at minus 3%. It hopes the Conservative majority win will ease the supply shortage, although RICS warned this would likely only be a short term boost.

Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at RICS, said: "It is conceivable that the decisive outcome to the election could encourage a pick-up in instructions to agents and ease some of the recent upward pressure on house prices, but it is doubtful that this will be substantive enough to provide anything more than temporary relief."

He added new measures to increase new homes in the UK was "absolutely critical".

The report suggested prices rose in all areas of the UK after London market saw a tentative rebound following its recent cooling off, with 28% more respondents seeing values in the capital rise last month, compared with 6% more surveyors in March who saw house prices fall. Overall, the report signalled more modest prices gains nationwide, although 72% of those surveyed expect prices to rise in the next year.