In recent years most property transactions have comprised one-off purchases or smaller two-property chains, but the average number of buyers and sellers involved in a single housing transaction is now increasing to 3, 4 and 5 party sales, according to law firm Irwin Mitchell.

The news comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the average property price in the UK is now £247,000, a record high beating the previous peak price in 2008.

In general house prices increased by 3.8% in the year up to August 2013.

The Help to Buy 2 scheme launched this month which is expected to increase the numbers of first-time-buyers.

Helen Hutchison, a specialist conveyancing lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said:

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“Over the past few years there have been fewer first-time buyers and that has had a knock on effect as ‘second steppers’ have struggled to find buyers to enable them to move up the housing ladder.

“What we are seeing now is a noticeable increase in the number of parties involved in longer chains. It shows the market is picking up because we are moving away from a time when the only purchasers were those that had the cash or deposit in place to be able to buy without selling their own property.

“The latest house price statistics show that the value of homes is increasing while government schemes such as Help to Buy will also help increase the availability at the lower end of the market which will in turn help those moving up the housing ladder.”

Hutchison suggests that people buying and selling property ensure they communicate as quickly as possible as well as showing patience during the process to ensure the increasing length of chains does not cause any issues.

She added: “Most people want their property transaction to go through as quickly as possible whether buying, selling or both. The key to making this happen is to ensure you communicate regularly with your solicitors, agents and mortgage provider and respond to any questions as soon as possible.

“Housing chains can only move as quickly as the slowest respondent and it is also important to remember to be patient as there is often a lot more happening behind the scenes than people realise. When people are spending such large amounts of money on property it is vital that all necessary checks are carried out to make sure it is a suitable purchase.”