THE scramble to get in ahead of the end of the full stamp duty break saw thousands of homebuyers looking to relocate, but which areas are the most in-demand?

We asked Worcestershire property expert Matt Nicol, head of Nicol and Co estate agents, which places were the most popular.

He said: "Property hotspots in Worcestershire include village locations such as Oddingley, Crowle and Tibberton, but I also see an appeal for areas to the west of Worcester.

"With the opening of the Carrington Bridge getting ever closer, the appeal of living closer to Malvern but having great access to the motorway will be a real winner.

"And family homes are becoming increasingly popular, I think with the lenders offering competitive rates the buyers are pushing to go for as much space as they are able to.

"We have also found quite a few buyers relocating – certainly more than there would have been prior to the 2020 lockdown.

"This could be coincidental with the improving road and rail connections and more businesses coming to the area, but a trend certainly is noticeable."

Meanwhile, the government's stamp duty break is still active, though the provisions have been changed.

Sharon Lerry, a senior associate at law firm mfg Solicitors said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all corners of daily life over the past 15 months but the housing market is bucking the trend and this has been fuelled by the Stamp Duty holiday which has kept the market busy and buoyant.

“I have heard people say that the house sale boom would stop as soon as the Stamp Duty holiday changed at the end of June.

"It is, however, really important to note that whilst the threshold will come down to £250,000, this will still keep deals moving along as it will really help first time buyers.

“What is vital is that those trying to push through a sale at pace have all the correct paperwork and correspondence at their fingertips.

“Professionals such as estate agents, brokers and lawyers are all under pressure to complete deals so buyers and sellers looking to take advantage of paying no Stamp Duty must ensure they are prepared.

"The process is taking much longer at present due to sheer volume.

“It will help massively in terms of timescales over the coming months and what we expect to be a hugely busy summer period.”