Strong demand from affluent home movers has boosted the total value of sales agreed by 26% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

The government is not considering a stamp duty holiday extension after calls for more time following the latest Coronavirus Tier 4 rules.

Rightmove has forecast average asking prices rising 4% across the UK in 2021 as people place housing ahead of economic uncertainty.

For the month of November a survey from Halifax showed 14% of households believe the value of their homes has increased.

Demand for housing is a third higher than a year ago although it has been slowing since the start of the stamp duty holiday.

It helps sellers and buyers if properties can sell fast and here are the results from Zoopla of the top 20 fastest selling UK homes.

Lockdown demand remains high with new sellers pricing keenly to complete before the stamp duty holiday which ends next March.

For those looking to escape the restrictions of living in an urban area during lockdowns, living in a national park looks attractive.

There are 50% more sales of properties in the pipeline with house prices at a two-and-a-half-year high helped by the stamp duty holiday.

Mortgages numbers have halved in the last three months and rates are higher as cautious lenders prepare for the end of the furlough scheme.

The top ten most expensive streets in Britain are all in London with Kensington Palace Gardens costing the most and averaging £35m.

The happiest place in Britain is Northern Ireland overtaking the South West with London remaining as the unhappiest place to live.

First time buyers have been the driving force behind the housing market and this is shifting to home movers due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Demand for property from new buyers entering the market has maintained pressure on house prices rising 2.6% for the year.

Second steppers looking for larger homes are driving the price of three and four bedroom properties to new record high prices.

Property prices for first time buyers in London rise by 98% over the decade and deposits are more than double the national average.

Homebuyers are more reliant than ever on the bank of mum and dad funding nearly a quarter of all housing transactions.

Buyer demand is up a third this year and no signs of losing momentum with house sales 76% higher over the five year average.

The number of house sales have reached a record for the last ten years as summer holidays are replaced by moving home.

HSBC has cut rates to 1.14% on higher loan to values benefiting existing homeowners looking to move or remortgage.