– By Gemma Francis
Constantly browsing property websites, forgetting everything you love about your home – and beginning to hate the neighbours are among the top signs you need to move, a study has found.
A poll of 2,000 homeowners found more than one in three have itchy feet in their home and is currently looking to move due to outgrowing the property, or feeling it is too small.
Other tell-tale signs a move is imminent include ignoring DIY and maintenance jobs which need doing, continually complaining about your property and paying more attention to other people’s houses.
Slowing down every time you drive or walk past a ‘For Sale’ sign, spending more time outside your home than you do inside it and imagining how you would decorate a new property also made it on to the list.
The study commissioned by Keepmoat Homes also revealed the average homeowner begins to get ‘itchy feet’ in their home after nine years of living there.
But more than one in 10 admit they start to think about moving after just three years.
James Thomson, Chief Executive at Keepmoat Homes, said: “Buying a home is a life- changing purchase so when you first move it is usually to a property you have fallen in love with.
“But after a few years, especially if your financial situation improves, many people start to think about moving up the property ladder.
“It isn’t surprising to see that the need for more space is the top reason that people decide to move – in the past some of our customers have even moved homes on the same development because they really love the area and the style of their home but, as their family has grown, they have wanted more space.”
Researchers who polled 2,000 homeowners found 71 per cent admit they often stop and have a nose at the homes for sale in estate agent windows.
And two thirds spend an average of 15 minutes a day on sites such as Rightmove and Zoopla searching for their next potential home.
It also emerged the average homeowner lived in their first home for six years before the ‘For Sale’ sign went up with most people moving because they wanted a bigger house.
Finding a home in a better location, with a bigger garden or to get away from an annoying or anti-social neighbour are other common reasons for moving.
But 41 per cent admit they are stuck in their current home because they haven’t got the money to move while another 23 per cent can’t find a property they like.
And more than one in five are staying put for the time being because they don’t want to deal with the stress of buying.
James Thomson added: “Concerns about money and the stress of buying were the key reasons why people choose to stay where they are.
“This is one of the advantages of buying a new-build property as you will have a Homes Sales Executive with you to offer advice and help every step of the way.
“At Keepmoat Homes we offer high quality beautiful homes but at prices people can afford.
“The average cost of a property in the UK is £225,621 or £175,759 outside London, whereas the average price for a Keepmoat home is £155,000.
“What’s more we build homes in areas where people want to live, close by to amenities, schools and transport links.
“We also support and grow the local communities we work in, meaning that when you move onto a Keepmoat Homes development you become part of a thriving neighbourhood that is already part of a community.
“So, if you are getting itchy feet, you may want to look at what we have to offer.”
Have you got itchy feet – take the quiz here https://www.swnsdigital.com/have-you-got-itchy-feet-quiz/
Top 30 signs you have itchy feet:
1. Your home starts to feel too big or small
2. You browse home-moving websites like Zoopla or Rightmove
3. There are DIY jobs you can’t be bothered to crack on with
4. You start to hate the neighbours
5. You notice other people’s homes more frequently
6. You don’t have enough storage space
7. You start to yearn for a shorter commute
8. You spend ages complaining about your house
9. You start honing in on all the things which are ‘wrong’ with the house
10. You have the money to move
11. You feel your home is now too old-fashioned
12. You’ve forgotten everything you once loved about it
13. You imagine how you’d decorate a new house
14. You’ve stopped tidying and cleaning as much as you should
15. You bring up houses, decorating and house-hunting in conversation more than you used to
16. You want a new project to work on
17. You start spending more time outside the house than in
18. You begin to feel your kids are ‘too big’ for the house
19. You feel you have ‘too many’ children for your current home
20. You slow down every time you go past a ‘For Sale’ sign
21. Your friends are all living in a different area
22. You stop keeping up with basic maintenance like replacing light bulbs
23. You don’t invite friends round any more
24. You get annoyed by cars parking in ‘your’ space
25. You let your garden fall into disrepair
26. You’ve had planning permission refused and can’t do things you want to do
27. You take a weirdly keen interest in other people who are buying new homes
28. You start buying home interior magazines
29. You never go in your garden
30. You find yourself ‘window shopping’ at B&Q
To view the results in full, go to https://www.keepmoatcorporate.com/news/one-in-three-homeowners-has-%E2%80%98itchy-feet%E2%80%99-and-wants-to-move
ENDS
