Rightmove expects house prices to grow 4 per cent in 2021.

It says that buyer demand is currently 53 per cent higher than it was this time last year, “despite the decreasing likelihood of completing a purchase by 31 March if it is agreed now.”

It cites this as one of the main reasons for believing that people will continue to prioritise buying property throughout next year, helping to support price rises.

Additionally, Rightmove points to a logjam of 650,000 properties changing hands right now, the number of which is unchanged on last month despite 130,000 completions or fall throughs having occurred in November.

Rightmove’s data shows that house prices grew 6.6 per cent in the year to December, dropping 0.6 per cent on a monthly basis, leaving the average asking price at £319,945.

Rightmove director of property data Tim Bannister says: “There’s likely to be a lull in quarter two [next year] unless the stamp duty holiday is extended, but for many buyers its removal will not be make or break, though may lead them to reduce their offers to a degree to compensate for the higher tax, and indeed many sellers may be prepared to help to mitigate their buyer’s financial loss.

“First-time buyers will remain largely exempt, so in most cases will be no worse off.”

Strike chief executive Sam Mitchell adds: “It’s hard to predict what will happen in the next few months, particularly with so much uncertainty around Brexit deal talks and rising unemployment levels as a result of the pandemic.

“However, people’s increased home working flexibility and desires for more space and rural locations is likely to keep demand ticking by. Plus, the recent breakthrough with the vaccine news has injected a newfound confidence in those who might have been on the fence about buying or selling.”