There were just over 98,000 residential property transactions in September, 0.7 per cent lower than in September 2019 but 20.3 per cent higher than in August this year.

The figures come from the Inland Revenue which logs monthly property transactions completed in the UK with value of £40,000 or above for Stamp Duty Land Tax purposes.

‘Provisional residential transactions estimates in September 2020 have noticeably increased compared to August 2020, likely due to the continued release of pent-up demand within the property market since March 2020 and early impacts from the temporarily increased nil rate band of SDLT’, said the Revenue. 

Residential transactions decreased significantly in April 2020, reflecting the impact of the Coronavirus and public health measures taken in response. 

Between 2005 and 2020, monthly transactions have varied between 160,000 (the height hit in 2006) and a low of 40,000 in August this year. At close to 100,000, the number of transactions is back up to levels seen consistently since 2013.

The nil rate band for residential SDLT was increased to £500,000 from 8 July 2020 to 31 March 2021 for transactions in England and Northern Ireland.