March was the strongest on record for property valuations in any month since 2007, it has been claimed.

In other positive news for estate agents, telephone answering service Moneypenny said that March was a particularly busy month.

Connells Survey & Valuation said it saw a 36% increase in activity compared with February, and the total number of valuations carried out in March was up 42% on the same month last year.

The biggest single increase was in buy-to-let valuations – up 54% on February and 64% ahead of March 2014.

There was also an increase in first-time buyer valuations, up 33% compared with February and 40% on March last year.

Valuations for home-movers picked up 32% on a monthly basis and 23% annually.

John Bagshaw, corporate services director of Connells Survey & Valuation, said: “Optimism looks to be catching, seeping from the wider economy and jobs situation into the property market.

“Looking ahead, election uncertainty is a real factor and not to be underestimated, yet a wider trend of buoyancy is definitely emerging.

“For over half a decade surprises have tended to be unpleasant ones – but this spring the housing market is now surprising on the upside.”

Moneypenny said that it took over 300,000 calls for some 850 agents in the first quarter of this year, with March 16 its single busiest day.

March would have been even busier overall had it not been for the solar eclipse on March 20, when volumes dropped 9%.