Could fluctuating property prices boost the appeal of collectible investments?

A new survey has revealed the most expensive street in England and Wales.

With an average property price of £6.4m, Victoria Road in Kensington, west London has been named the most expensive place to have digs.

The street is near the Royal Albert Hall in an area known for its museums and embassies.

It takes top spot away from Chester Square in London's Belgravia, which led the list for the past two years.

The Mouseprice.com survey was based on sale price statistics from the Land Registry and augmented with surveyors' valuation data.

But while house prices at the top end of the market appear to be in good health, that is not the case on a national scale. Figures from the Land Registry for January indicate that house prices declined by 0.9% in the past 12 months.

Kensington has some of the highest house prices in the UK

Such figures suggest that property speculators may wish to examine alternative investments to balance their portfolios.

Research conducted by Halifax last year showed that property values increased by 187% during the course of the last decade, while shares rose by an average of just 18%.

In comparison, autograph values increased by 335.9% during the same 10-year period, clear evidence that alternative investments can make a good profit.

The best performing autograph during the noughties was that of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, which rose by 900%. Armstrong stopped signing autographs in the 1990s, making his signature rare and much sought after.