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The lockdown, pent up demand and the stamp duty holiday has seen house prices leap in recent weeks, according to a new study.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors said house price growth in the North West was at the highest level in more than 16 years.

It said a net balance of 64 per cent of respondents reported an increase in buyer interest across the region over the month, according to its RICS UK Residential Survey.

It added that as buyer enquiries continued to rise, the number of new properties listed for sale also increased, with a net balance of +32 per cent of survey participants noting an increase in vendors listing property to sell.

Ben Moore of Ben Moore Bespoke Estate Agent says the stamp duty holiday and lockdown have influenced the housing market with more people seeking a move up to bigger premises

And it added that the pandemic was expected to cause a lasting shift in the desirability of certain property characteristics, as 83 per cent of respondents, nationally, say demand increasing for homes with gardens over the next two years.

And property site Rightmove said its figures show that more sellers are finding a buyer within a week of putting their home up for sale than at any time over the past ten years, a 125 per cent jump on the same period last year.

And it says that three and four bedroomed homes are in demand forcing prices up for so-called second steppers looking for more space for families.

Average prices rose this month with the average being £291,618, up 0.4 per cent from last month.

Large family homes with home office space and gardens such as Chandlers Fold Poulton are now in demand says Ben Moore

Ben Moore, owner of Ben Moore Bespoke Estate Agent in Cleveleys, said the phenomenon could be seen across the Fylde coast.

He said: “Lockdown had a significant impact on the property market.

“As many home movers are spending more time at home, they are re-assessing their requirements.

“An increase in home working has now placed a home office at the forefront of buyer requirements along with more outdoor space.

“So, pent-up demand, low interest rates and stamp duty holidays have come together in a perfect storm, and have resulted in a buoyant market on the Fylde coast.”

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist said: “The latest RICS survey provides firm evidence of a strong uplift in activity in the housing market which should help support the wider economy gain traction over the coming months.

"More of a concern is the pick-up in prices which could intensify issues around affordability in some parts of the country.”

Housing market at 16 year high after lockdown