More than 6,000 newly built homes were sold in the second quarter of this year, up 84% on the same period last year, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS.

Prices were almost unchanged, whereas existing property has risen in price some 10% over the same period.

The April to June period was the third quarter in a row in which more new homes were sold. Sales had fallen for the previous six years.

Economists say higher salaries are allowing people to pay more for a property, and that has also helped sales of more expensive new homes.

The average price of a new home is currently €479,000, which is some €38,000 higher than that of an existing property.

On average, Dutch homes were 7.7% more expensive in the second quarter compared with the previous year, and that is well above the EU average of 2.9%. But in Poland, house prices are shooting up, rising an average of nearly 18% in the same period.

House prices have more than doubled in nine EU member states since 2010, mainly in eastern and central Europe. In the Netherlands prices were up around 70%.