House prices continued to rise in January, with an average of increase of 9.3% compared with the year-earlier period, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS and the Kadaster land registry.

The increase is the biggest in two years, and shows that would-be home buyers are still not being deterred from over-bidding, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the CBS said.

In the region of Hardenberg in Overijssel province, for example, over half of the houses sold went for more than the asking price, compared with just 20% in January 2020. ‘There is a lot of demand and very little supply,’ real estate agent Ellen Smit told broadcaster NOS. ‘In particular, young people were disappointed.’

In addition, more people from the major urban areas have been looking to buy in the region, she said.

In Amsterdam, 67% of houses were sold for more than the asking price, but that figure has not increased over the past year.