The number of new sales agreed so far this year is 12% higher than last year, as buyers seek to avoid paying stamp duty when the threshold changes in April, a property listing site found.
According to the Zoopla House Price Index, higher mortgage rates and weaker consumer confidence have not dented sales activity, and sellers have also reacted with a 10% jump in the number of homes for sale.
Zoopla said this meant the year was starting with the highest number of homes for sale per estate agency branch for seven years, averaging 31 per branch.
Coincidentally, buyer demand was also 13% higher than this time last year.
Its data showed that the rise in sales activity was supporting house prices, as this rose by 2% annually to an average of £267,700, compared to a 0.9% yearly decline at the start of 2024.

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Avoiding stamp duty rise
Zoopla said demand from first-time buyers jumped by more than a third in November and December after it was confirmed in the October Budget that the stamp duty threshold would increase.
This was most notable in regions where stamp duty is set to rise the most, such as London and areas of South East England.
There was a lower rise in first-time buyer demand for properties worth less than £300,000, as these will not be impacted by the stamp duty change.
Demand from homeowners also increased, albeit modestly, as they also sought to avoid paying a higher rate of the stamp duty tax.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “The first few weeks of each year tend to provide a clear indication of how the rest of the year is likely to unfold. 2025 has started well, better than 2024 and 2023, which bodes well for market activity over the rest of the year, supported by evidence of more people looking to move.
“It is important not to read too much into the increase in stamp duty for more buyers from April, as three in five first-time buyers will still pay nothing from April. The extra costs to homeowners remain manageable and unlikely to reduce sales, but they will keep price rises in check.”
He added: “The healthy stock of homes for sale will keep price rises in check and we are forecasting average UK house prices will rise by 2.5% in 2025 with 5% more sales than last year at 1.15 million.
“Rising incomes and base rate cuts will improve affordability and support consumer sentiment.”