The property market is ending 2020 on a "sprint finish", with the average price tag on a home nearly £20,000 higher than it was at the start of the year, despite the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
Across Britain, the average asking price on a home stood at £319,945 in December, 0.6% down month-on-month but a 6.6% increase compared with the same month in 2019, Rightmove said.
In cash terms, the average house price is up by £19,920 compared with a year ago. Rightmove predicts house prices will increase by 4% nationally across 2021.
It expects the first quarter of next year to be busy as a stamp duty holiday deadline approaches on 31 March. Rightmove estimates that a "log jam" of around 650,000 properties are currently