Where have we moved the most during the pandemic?

The latest property market analysis by estate and lettings agent, Barrows and Forrester, has revealed that Rother, Tendring and South Hams have seen the highest level of pandemic property market activity when it comes to the most homes sold per 1,000 people.

Barrows and Forrester analysed property sales volumes since the start of the pandemic in January 2020 until now (April 2022 – latest available). They then looked at how this level of market activity stacks up against the estimated population of each area, to find the areas where we’ve moved the most.

The property market has boomed during the pandemic and while it now seems to be returning to a more measured rate of normality, there have been over 1.790m homes sold across England since January 2020. With an estimated population of 56.5m, that’s a rate of 46.8 homes sold per every 1,000 people in England.

The South West has seen the highest level of market activity when considered in relation to the population of the region. With 210,950 homes sold, that equates to 37.1 homes for every 1,000 people.

At 22.6 homes sold per 1,000 people, London ranks as the region where we’ve moved the least during the pandemic.

Nowhere has the property market been busier than in Rother in the South East, where 46.8 homes have sold for every 1,000 people.

Tendring in the East of England also makes the top three (46.8), as does South Hames in the South West (45.8).

In fact, seven of the top 10 busiest locations are found within these three regions, with the Isle of Wight (44.9), North Norfolk (44.2), East Devon (44.2) and Torbay (43.7) also making the list.

Fylde has been the most active area of the property market in the North West and the fifth most active in England with 44.5 homes sold per 1,000 people. Wyre (43.1) also places as the tenth busiest market nationally and second in the North West (43.1)

Scarborough in Yorkshire and the Humber also makes the top 10 areas to have moved the most during the pandemic (43.5), sitting ninth in England.

In the West Midlands, Stratford-on-Avon ranks top with 39.3 homes sold per 1,000 people, although this is only enough to place it at number 44 in the nation.

In the North East, Darlington has seen the most market activity during the pandemic with 38.1 per 1,000 people – the 65th busiest across England as a whole.

Managing Director of Barrows and Forrester, James Forrester, commented:

“We’re starting to see early signs that the pandemic property market boom may be coming to an end and it’s fair to say it’s been one of the most unprecedented periods in the history of the sector.

Buyer activity has been unrelenting and this has also driven property values to record highs pretty much consistently over the last 18 months.

We’re now seeing the market return to a sense of normality and so it will be interesting to see if the same areas rank top for the highest levels of market activity in another 18 months time, or if the current frontrunners revealed in our research have benefitted as a result of the pandemic induced trends for more outdoor space and larger homes.”