Southern commuter belt homes have seen the biggest uplift in new buyer enquiries since the chancellor announced the stamp duty holiday in last week’s summer economic update.

Figures from Rightmove show a surge in enquiries about properties in postcodes on the fringes of the capital or within easy reach for commuters.

The website focussed on the number of buyers enquiring about homes in the £400,000 to £500,000 price bracket, which will be exempt from stamp duty until March 31.

Rightmove found that enquiries about homes in Milton Keynes, where the average asking price is £305,306, soared by 136 per cent. 

Buyers of properties with an “MK” postcode stand to save £5,265 in stamp duty based on typical prices.

Watford saw the next highest leap in enquiries, which were up by 109 per cent.

Prospective buyers of homes with a “WD” postcode stand to save £11,293 in tax, based on the average asking price of £425,867.

Harrow was next on the list, with buyer enquiries up 103 per cent and typical savings of £14,135 based on the average asking price of £482,691.

Chelmsford in Essex was in fourth place with a 95 per cent increase in enquiries. 

In the CM postcode stamp duty savings of £9,183 can be made based on the average asking price of £383,667.

Also in Essex, Ilford was fifth with a 91 per cent surge in interest from buyers with typical stamp duty savings of £10,097 to be made on the average asking price of £401,933.

The remaining top 10 locations to see a boom in buyer demand were Enfield, Bromley, West London, Stevenage and Swindon.

Across all locations, there was a 49 per cent increase in enquiries about properties in the £400,000-£500,000 price band where stamp duty is temporarily exempt.

Enquiries about properties in the £500,001 to £750,000 band were up by 40 per cent as buyers stand to save £15,000.

Interest in properties priced at £300,000 or below was only 1 per cent higher than previously, perhaps because first-time buyers of homes in this price range were already exempt from stamp duty.

There was a 5 per cent increase in the number of new sellers coming to market in England compared to the previous week, which Rightmove expects to increase further over the next few months as people look to make the most of the stamp duty holiday window.

Rightmove commercial director and housing market analyst Miles Shipside says: “The uplift in enquiries is likely a mixture of people looking in new areas to see what they can now afford, changing their search criteria to bigger, slightly more expensive homes, and new movers coming into the market because they now have enough extra budget to move home. 

“The savings of £15,000 on property above £500,000 may also help some people to trade up more easily.

”Our analysis shows that this is going to help the mid-market the most, but all parts of a property chain are vital to keep the market moving.

“Although low deposit mortgage options are slowly coming back to the market, first-time buyers who were already exempt from stamp duty up to £300,000 may find that they will be competing with some buy-to-let investors also looking to make the most of the stamp duty savings in this sector of the market.”