There was a 39 per cent decrease in new build sales received for registration on an annual basis in March 2020, shows data from HM Land Registry.

This equates to 8,019 properties of the 54,785 counted in March.

The majority of these – 40,964 – were freehold, although this represents a 38 per cent decrease when compared to March 2019.

Of the 54,785 total mentioned above, 5,514 took place in March. The most expensive residential property was a terraced house in Kensington and Chelsea, which went for £4.5m, and the cheapest was a terraced property in Hartlepool, which sold for £20,000.

The most expensive commercial property, meanwhile, was the City of Westminster, commanding a price tag of £25m.

The cheapest commercial unit went for £100, in Maidstone.

In February 2020, 78,243 sales in total were received for registration, meaning there was a 30 per cent monthly drop.

In January, meanwhile, 95,982 were sales were received.