Properties in Kirkcudbright boasted an average property selling price of £207,967, while those in the town of Dumfries achieved an average property selling price of £164,749. Castle Douglas homes had an average selling price of £183,600 during this period.

The number of homes coming to market during this period was down by 5.3 per cent. We have also seen property listings decrease year-on-year in several other parts of Scotland over the past three months.

There could be a number of reasons for this, including the strong start to 2020 in terms of listings, current stay-at-home guidance and impact of homeschooling in recent months.

Dumfries boasted both the greatest volume of property sales and number of listings over the past three months, compared to other towns in the area.

From December 2020 to February 2021, the median time for a property to be placed under offer in Dumfries and Galloway was 36 days, an impressive 21 days faster than the same period last year.

Dumfries properties had a median selling time of 22 day while Castle Douglas properties were placed under offer in a median time of 45 days. Kirkcudbright properties had a median selling time of 85 days.

Over the past three months, houses in the south-west of Scotland achieved 100.6 per cent of Home Report valuation on average compared to 96 per cent last year.

Kirkcudbright properties achieved 101.9 per cent on average while homes in both Castle Douglas and Dumfries attained 100 per cent of the Home Report value on average.

Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, said: “Our market statistics for Dumfries and Galloway suggest there is strong buyer demand in the area. Rising selling prices, decreasing selling times and a higher percentage of Home Report valuation achieved indicate a competitive market, with people moving quickly and decisively to secure the home they want.

“As with other areas of Scotland, we have seen fewer homes coming to market year-on-year. However, we do expect more properties to be listed as the current lockdown restrictions are eased in the coming weeks.

“I advise those thinking of buying or selling a property in Dumfries and Galloway to contact a local solicitor estate agent to get expert advice.”