The increase marks the fourth successive robust monthly gain, lifting the year-on-year increase to 5.8% - the highest since January 2015.

House prices have strengthened as housing market activity has maintained the buoyancy evident since mid-May when the easing of the coronavirus restrictions on activity released pent-up demand.

This buoyancy has been reinforced by the Chancellor raising the Stamp Duty threshold to £500,000 from mid-July through to 31 March 2021.

Yesterday, the Bank of England revealed that mortgage approvals reached a thirteen-year high of 91,454 in September.

Nationwide also said that “Behavioural shifts may also be boosting activity, as people reassess their housing needs and preferences as a result of life in lockdown.”

The bank reported that around 10% of those surveyed in September said they were in the process of moving as a result of the pandemic, with a further 18% considering a move for the same reason.

This pattern was evident across the country, especially in London. Of those moving or considering a move, around a third (35%) were looking to move to a different area, while nearly 30% were doing so to access a garden or outdoor space more easily.