The asking price of properties coming on to the market has hit an all-time high, with inquiries to agents also at record levels, Rightmove has reported.

Separately, Countrywide is reporting that average rents in the UK are at their highest ever.

Rightmove said this morning that the average new asking price is now almost £300,000 (£299,287) surpassing the previous record set last October by £2,738.

Asking prices this month are up 2.9% on January’s.

Visits to the site were up nearly 20% year on year in January, at over 127m, up nearly 20% on January 2015. Email and telephone inquiries to agents were at an all-time high in January, of over 4.9m.

Over the last month, there has been a 5% uplift in new properties coming to the market – resulting in the highest number of newly listed properties at this time of year since the 2008 credit crunch.

However, Rightmove said there was little evidence of tax-shy landlords selling up.

Separately, this morning Countrywide reported that the average rent in the UK stood at £906 in January – £97 above the last record in 2007.

Only rents in the north-east, north-west and Wales remain below the pre-recession level. London rents are 34% above.