Moving house? There’s still no place like home!

IT is thought to be one of life’s most stressful experiences.

But despite the considerable upheaval, it seems the average family is prepared to pack up and move house in order to set up a new home less than ten miles away.

A survey found one in five Scots households moves only 1.2 miles or less, while the average flit involves a journey of 8.3 miles.

The year-long research, carried out by moving company AnyVan.com, looked at 10,000 UK movers ahead of what is traditionally the busiest time of the year for those planning to switch homes.

The longest journey was made by a resident of Orkney who packed up their belongings for a bumper 766-mile journey to a new life in Devon, in the south-west of England.

Almost 200 of the 10,000 movers travelled more than 500 miles, while 2,250 had a trip in excess of 100 miles.

More than 250 people travelled more than 500 miles to the Highlands.

Residents in Paisley made the shortest journey, with half relocating 2.7 miles away or less.

Half of all those moving house in Inverness travelled 88.5 miles or less, while residents in Dumfries travelled an average of 48.4 miles. The firm says around half the inquiries it receives about moving home take place between May and August.

Improved weather makes properties and gardens more enticing and it gives children time to settle into an area ahead of a school change.

AnyVan.com chief executive Angus Elphinstone said: ‘Packing up everything and moving to another part of the UK can be a daunting experience and our figures revealed that over the past 12 months almost 200 customers travelled more than 500 miles when they moved home.

‘And while 2,250 decided to start a new life 100 miles away, our research showed that for most, there really is no place like home.

‘One in five moves 1.2 miles or less. Out of the busiest areas it is Paisley residents who moved the shortest distance, with half of those moving 2.7 miles or less.

‘At the other end of the scale are those in Inverness, with half of the residents in the capital of the Highlands travelling 88.5 miles or less. Whether it is a one-mile trip to the other side of a village or an 800-mile journey across the British Isles, moving home can be one of life’s most stressful episodes.’

Figures showed the average distance for house movers in Dundee was 5.1 miles – 2.3 miles fewer than the corresponding figure in Aberdeen.

In Glasgow, half of movers travelled less than 5.8 miles and in Edinburgh, the figure was 7.5 miles.