It figures showed that remortgage applications rose 5% on December, as speculation mounted around when the base rate will rise.
Total mortgage applications in January increased 43% compared to December, but were down 2% year-on-year.
Countrywide said that three of its top ten mortgage deals applied for by customers were remortgage products, with an average deposit of 32% and an average interest rate of 3.26%.
Overall, the average deposit required for its ten most popular mortgages in January was 22%, down 4% on December and up 3% year-on-year, with an average interest rate of 4.24%.
Fixed-rate products made up 84% of all mortgage applications in January, their highest level since August 2009 and an increase of 9% on the previous month.
Countrywide figures showed that 86% of all remortgage applications in January were for fixed rate deals, up 8% on December.
Grenville Turner, chief executive of Countrywide, said: “The growing popularity of fixed rate mortgage products is a telling sign that many are prepared to pay slightly more to give themselves peace of mind and stability with regards to their outgoings.
He added: “The reality is that for the last 2 years only those that have had to move have done so. Discretionary movers, who typically make up somewhere around half of all transactions are beginning to evaluate whether this is now the time to make a move.”
