The pandemic is doing nothing to dampen St Albans’ sizzling property market, new research has confirmed.

According to house selling weather forecast site, PropCast, 56 per cent of homes for sale in the Cathedral city are currently under offer.

This gives St Albans a ‘heat ranking’ of 56° and places it mid-table in a countdown of 61 cities in England, Scotland and Wales, in 28th place.

Buyer demand is currently highest in Stirling at 75°, and lowest in Westminster and Aberdeen, which share a score of 14°, with 75 per cent and 14 per cent of homes under offer.

Antony Crovella, sales and marketing director at Meyer Homes, the developer behind St Albans’ Gabriel Square, said the pandemic had had a positive impact on the local market.

He said the sale of 19 townhouses, priced from £965,000, had been agreed at Gabriel Square since the first lockdown ended, doubling the sales rate at the development.

“We haven’t seen a dip in enquiries because the buyer mindset is still the same,” he added. “People are seeking more space, value for money, a better lifestyle and have less need for a five-day week commute - everything Gabriel Square and the city of St Albans offers.”

Steve Walker from Collinson Hall, who market properties at Gabriel Square, added that the “pattern of strong interest” seen at the development has been repeated across St Albans.

“Our clients remain cautious around COVID exposure but we make every effort to keep everyone safe," he said. "Within those parameters and by using the evolving technology we have been able to capture people’s interest through innovative, effective marketing and have remained very busy throughout the lockdowns.”

Gavin Brazg, founder of PropCast and TheAdvisory, a consumer advice group for home sellers, said: “Evidence suggests that COVID-19 is not killing demand, it’s actually fuelling it as we re-evaluate what is important in life and where we want to be. This is something we never thought possible when the virus first entered our lives almost a year ago.”