The UK’s coronavirus lockdown sparked a huge increase in countryside property searches from people living in cities.
According to a Rightmove study, estate agents saw a 126% rise in enquiries for village properties during June and July, compared to the same period in 2019.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The lure of a new lifestyle, one that is quieter and has an abundance of beautiful countryside and more outdoor space, has led to more city dwellers choosing to become rural residents,” said Miles Shipside of Rightmove.
“The most popular village moves are still within the same region the home hunters are currently in, as it’s likely they’ll keep their current job but may have the flexibility to commute less often and set up their working space at home.”
At the end of June The Daily Telegraph reported that lockdown had created a wave of “panic movers”. Aneisha Beveridge, Hamptons International’s head of research, said: “Lockdown measures have definitely made people reassess the location and type of home they want to live in.”
The BBC adds that money does not appear to be the main reason for people wanting to swap the city for village life.
Mark Rimell, director in Strutt & Parker’s country house department, said: “A slower pace of life, outdoor space and tight knit communities come hand in hand with village living - something many have come to appreciate in recent months and have enduring appeal.”
Rightmove says that in cities such as Liverpool and Edinburgh, searches for countryside properties had more than doubled.
Its study found that the number of enquiries from Liverpool residents looking for a village lifestyle has almost tripled (+275%) compared to last year, versus a 63% increase in enquiries to towns. In Edinburgh village enquiries are up 205%, and Birmingham was up 186%.
-
August 24 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Putin at Donald Trump's circus, gallons of whitewash, and a foldable cartoon
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in votingCartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugsTalking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
Labour shortages: the ‘most urgent problem’ facing the UK economy right nowSpeed Read Britain is currently in the grip of an ‘employment crisis’
-
Will the energy war hurt Europe more than Russia?Speed Read European Commission proposes a total ban on Russian oil
-
Will Elon Musk manage to take over Twitter?Speed Read The world’s richest man has launched a hostile takeover bid worth $43bn
-
Shoppers urged not to buy into dodgy Black Friday dealsSpeed Read Consumer watchdog says better prices can be had on most of the so-called bargain offers
-
Ryanair: readying for departure from LondonSpeed Read Plans to delist Ryanair from the London Stock Exchange could spell ‘another blow’ to the ‘dwindling’ London market
-
Out of fashion: Asos ‘curse’ has struck againSpeed Read Share price tumbles following the departure of CEO Nick Beighton
-
Universal Music’s blockbuster listing: don’t stop me now…Speed Read Investors are betting heavily that the ‘boom in music streaming’, which has transformed Universal’s fortunes, ‘still has a long way to go’
-
EasyJet/Wizz: battle for air supremacySpeed Read ‘Wizz’s cheeky takeover bid will have come as a blow to the corporate ego’
