The town of IJsselstein, south of Utrecht, is the most popular location for home hunters on housing website Funda, both in October and in the first nine months of this year.

In October alone there were over 408,000 searches for a home in the town, known for having the biggest Christmas tree in the country in the form of an illuminated radio mast.

In absolute terms, cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht are far more popular, Funda spokeswoman Claire Verhagen said. “But IJsselstein generates the most views per home and that makes it the most popular.”

Bart Rietveld, a born and bred IJsselsteiner and head of the local history society, told the AD he would be surprised if his home town did not top the list. It has, he said, all the services that a big city has – with Utrecht only 15 kilometres away – but the charm and peace of a small city rich in history.

The town, bisected by the IJssel river, has a population of 34,000 and was first given city rights in 1331.

“You’ve got hospitals in Utrecht and Nieuwegein close by and good connections with the A2 motorway and the fast tram to Utrecht,” Rietveld pointed out.

A quick search on Funda shows there are currently 61 properties for sale in the town, most of which are modern. They range in price from €265,000 for a flat of 46 square metres in a modern block to a splendid detached home with lake and dovecote for €3.3 million.

Five of the top 10 towns in Funda’s October ranking are in Utrecht province, four in Gelderland and one, the Groningen commuter town of Zuid-Laren is in Drenthe.