Property owners are putting their homes on the market because they are bored of the area, don’t like the neighbours – or fear their house is HAUNTED.
A poll of 2,000 adults looking to sell up in the next six months also found one in 20 are so annoyed by glare on their TV screen, they’re going to buy a whole new house.
Another one in 10 are worried they’re currently living in a ‘ropey’ neighbourhood while another tenth of those polled think crime rates around them are going up.
But more than one in twenty want to move because they are too far away from their nearest pub while the same number plan on moving because their cat or dog ‘doesn’t seem to like’ where they currently live.
Sam Mitchell, CEO of online estate agent Strike, which commissioned the research, said: “People move for all sorts of reasons.
“Some are more pressing than others – not getting on with your neighbours can be a real emotional drain, particularly if you’re spending much more time at home currently.
“But some of the other reasons that turned up in our survey were definitely a bit more frivolous.
“Our results found there’s a level of uncertainty around moving to a new house at the moment – people aren’t sure if prices are going to go down or up for example.
“However, with so many reasons pushing us to move home, and exaggerated by the extra time we’ve spent at home recently, clearly this uncertainty isn’t enough to deter people from selling.”
The study also found that since lockdown measures were introduced, half of prospective movers say their priorities for a home have changed.
Four in 10 now want a bigger garden or outdoor space, while three in 10 want to be closer to their friends and family.
With working from home now the new normal, a quarter say not having a home office has become a dealbreaker and three in 10 are now looking to move further away to get more for their money.
And more than 36 per cent expect house prices in their area to go up as millions across the nation look to buy and demand dials up.
Just a quarter think there is a chance their property value could go down, but 62 per cent do believe buying or selling could be more stressful now due to the pandemic.
As the UK slowly eases out of lockdown, more than eight in 10 respondents think it’s important to sell their home in a socially distanced way.
Because of this, 44 per cent now say they’re likely to use an online estate agent to sell their home, rather than a high-street presence.
Half of respondents said that the bottom line is that Covid-19 won’t stop them doing what they want to, according to the OnePoll figures.
Strike’s CEO Sam Mitchell added: “Property demand in the UK is back and interest from buyers has returned to pre-coronavirus levels far quicker than expected.
“We’re currently seeing at least a 25 per cent increase in demand from buyers now versus before lockdown began.
“Meanwhile, the backlog of sellers who need to move has never been greater.
“Brexit uncertainty stunted plans for many long before Covid-19 and now patience is wearing thin.
“This has only been exaggerated by the fact we’ve all been locked inside our homes and our priorities for what we want in a home have changed.
“Our job is to guide sellers and ensure their move is as efficient as possible now that they can finally proceed.
“Virtual tools and tech services have become commonplace and it’s about time our industry embraced that to deliver a better and quicker service.”
40 REASONS BRITS WANT TO SELL THEIR HOMES
1. To have a bigger home
2. Wanting a garden/bigger garden
3. For a change of scene
4. To have a bigger kitchen
5. To have a bigger living room
6. To be closer to friends and family
7. To move into the countryside
8. For more storage space
9. Don’t like the neighbours
10. To have more parking space
11. To be closer to green spaces
12. Generally bored of the area
13. Having a family or more children
14. To have an en suite, a second bathroom or downstairs toilet
15. To have a south-facing garden
16. For a better commute to work
17. Don’t want to be stuck in a ‘ropey’ neighbourhood
18. The garden doesn’t get enough sunshine throughout the day
19. Moving for schools
20. To be closer to the city
21. Not enough natural light
22. Too far from shop/local amenities
23. Moving in with a partner
24. No longer want to be tied to a mortgage
25. Completed renovating the property
26. An increase in local crime
27. Accessibility issues – needing ramps, too many stairs etc.
28. Got a new job somewhere else
29. To be closer to nice cycle routes
30. Wanting to go travelling
31. For better Wi-Fi
32. Wanting space for a bigger TV
33. Too far from the nearest school
34. Too far away from a pub
35. Children don’t like the current property
36. Putting the bins out is annoying/difficult such as having to go through the house
37. There is glare on the TV screen
38. Cat/dog doesn’t seem to like the current property
39. A mysterious leak we can’t be bothered to fix
40. Think it might be haunted
ENDS
