New figures released this week provide an insight into the scale of the mass migration of Londoners swapping life in the city for a home half an hour’s journey on the Chiltern Railways line from the green, green pastures of Bucks.

Over the first three months of this year, potential buyers adding their names to Savills books in Amersham and Beaconsfield increased by 70 per cent, based on figures 12 months previously.

Over that period sales agreed at the two branches soared by a whopping 158 per cent. Sales to London buyers rose 80 per cent.

Add to that the 54 per cent rise in the number of houses and flats attracting multiple bids and you can see why modest price rises of two and three per cent more recently might gain momentum particularly when shortage of supply is a factor.

Nick Pounce, head of sales at Savills Amersham office and his counterpart in Beaconsfield Chris Moorhouse reckon demand is likely to drive the market for the foreseeable future.

Chris points out: “Country homes in villages such as Jordans, Seer Green, Penn and Bledlow have always been popular with buyers moving out of London in search of a countryfied lifestyle within the commuter belt and relative value for money. It’s intensified over the last 12 months. In the 15 years I’ve been working in Amersham this is the busiest I’ve known it.”

The same is true for rentals. The main demand here is for family houses with three or four bedrooms.

“There has been a huge spike in demand from those moving from the capital,” confirms Claire Pincott, Savills head of lettings in the local region. Very often people are looking to try before they buy.

“Either they want to get to know the area better or they can’t quite find what they’re looking for.

“Renting in the short term puts them in a much stronger position. It enables them to test out the area, plus when they’re ready to commit to buying, they won’t be in a chain of sales.”

Pictured above is a house in Stanley Hill Avenue, Amersham, let by Savills after it had been on the books with an asking price of £2,750 a month.

The agents report: “It was let via a video tour, no physical viewing took place. We started marketing on January 2 and agreed a deal on January 26. The new tenants moved in on March 20 after the previous tenancy expired.”

According to online property website home.co.uk, on Tuesday this week there were 5,657 homes for sale in Buckinghamshire. Average price: £512,275.

Typical time on the market for a house in Bucks this month was 187 days so if you’re selling, don’t pin your hopes too much on your lovely home being among the one in four across the country which Rightmove says is selling within a week.

“The recent restrictions have done little to slow the pace of the market,” states Nick Pounce.

“Sales agreed are well above the pre-pandemic norm, the same is true of mortgage approvals.”

The estate agent sees positives in the current situation: “The market has benefitted from young families moving beyond the M25 earlier in their life, wanting more space and larger gardens.”

As for Rightmove director Tim Bannister, he seems to believe this is a time when fortune will favour the brave.

Assuming reports of his recent comments are correct, here’s how he sees the property market reacting to outside forces: “Supply is massively outpaced by demand. The proportion of available property is at its lowest ever recorded by Rightmove.

“However some of the froth is likely to come off this spring surge later in the year as the challenging economic conditions come to the fore, some of the government support to individuals and businesses unwinds and the stamp duty holidays finally end in England and Wales.

“Nevertheless we expect activity to remain robust for the rest of 2021.

“If you’re looking to buy in the current frenetic market, then you need to be on your toes and ready to move more quickly than ever before.”