Published: 10/03/2021
There is no denying the COVID-19 pandemic has altered many people’s lives for good. The past year has been extremely challenging, touching virtually every aspect of life.
For many households, the impact of lockdown and remote working has led to a desire to change home. If you have spent a lot of time at home, it is perfectly natural you will want to alter your scenery.
However, in looking at reasons why people are still looking to move home in 2021, another factor associated with the pandemic comes to the fore.
It is fair to say many relationships have struggled, and been broken, by the pandemic. Spending a lot more time at home has placed people under greater pressure. Not being able to socialise with friends and work colleagues has also impacted many people.
Also, you cannot overlook the financial impact of the pandemic. Many households have struggled financially, and this has placed relationships under greater pressure.
It should therefore come as no surprise to learn a recent study found many people are moving home because of changes in their relationship status.
Yes Homebuyers conducted a survey which outlines the reasons why people are moving home:
- Divorce or end of a relationship cited by 23% of respondents
- Relocating for personal reasons said by 21% of respondents
- A desire to have more space was said by 19% of respondents
- 11% of respondents said they were relocating for work reasons
These are tough times for many reasons
The same study also suggests searches for divorce guidance have increased by 25% due to COVID-19, and enquiries with divorce specialists have risen by 122%.
Other findings include:
57% of people say leaving their home was more upsetting than ending a relationship
Only 25% of movers have been forced to leave a property they would have preferred to stay in
Only 25% of movers have been forced to leave a property they would have preferred to stay in
Other pandemic factors have also led to property moves
While the end of a relationship has always been one of the main factors behind home moves, Covid has likely caused this to increase.
- 11% of people said they were moving for financial reasons
- 6% of respondents said they were downsizing to a more manageable property
- 2% of people were moving after getting married
Matthew Cooper, Founder & Managing Director of Yes Homebuyers, commented: “There are a number of key life events that cause us to move home and unfortunately, divorce is one of them. We’ve seen a number of reports around a spike in divorce proceedings and breakups due to the additional stress placed on relationships during lockdown. So it’s no surprise that it ranks as the driving factor for home moves at present with Covid causing restrictions in other areas of life such as marriage and relocating for work. For some, a breakup will mean a double whammy of leaving their partner and a home they love, but luckily the number of us forced to leave a property we would prefer to stay in remains rather low. However, it says a lot about us as a nation of bricks and mortar lovers when having to leave a home is more upsetting than leaving the person we shared it with.”
If you are looking to make a move in the Bromley property market, and you would like to speak with local experts, please get in touch. If you would like to arrange a property valuation, contact us and we will set this up for you. You can phone your BR Estate Agent on 020 3633 8620 from 9am till 9pm seven days a week or visit our website www.br-estateagent.co.uk for more information