Demand for homes on south coast surges in lockdown

LOCKDOWN has seen a surge in house-hunters looking at properties on the south coast, data show, as people look to “prioritise fresh air and more outdoor space”.

With many millions of people in lockdown in cities, with limited access to the countryside or sea, figures from property website Zoopla show that searches for houses in Portsmouth and Southampton have surged, while London and Birmingham both saw drops in interest. Zoopla analysed searches on its site between May 12, the day it emerged the market in England would reopen, and May 19.

Portsmouth and Southampton attracted 46 per cent and 42 per cent more interest respectively in that week than in the entire month of February.

Oxford, Cambridge and Bournemouth also saw more searches, while cities outside England, including Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh, had interest drop by as much as 57 per cent.

Zoopla said research among 2,000 people found around 60 per cent of would-be buyers intend to go ahead with their plans to move house. But around four in 10 potential buyers said they have put their plans on hold, citing market uncertainty, loss of income and diminished confidence in future finances as deterrents.

Richard Donnell, director of research and insight at Zoopla, said: “Millions of UK households have spent a considerable amount of time in their homes over the lockdown period and missed out on hours of commuting.

“Many households are likely to have re-evaluated what they want from their home.

“We expect that people who would normally look for the next home in London are also looking more closely at the options in locations that are commutable to London several days a week rather than daily. This may mean people looking further afield than they might otherwise have done.

“It is not just the south coast that is proving popular – we have seen an above average increase in Oxford and Cambridge, too.

“As businesses adapt to accommodate working from home on a more regular basis, it is likely homeowners will be encouraged to look beyond the traditional commuter belt.

“In the immediate term, however, more homeowners are looking outside of cities, as they prioritise fresh air and more outdoor space on their doorstep.”