- Research shows that lockdown has made just under two thirds (64%) of Bournemouth homeowners want to move to a new property
- Two fifths (42%) of Bournemouth homeowners will continue working from home when restrictions lift
- Home working sees almost two thirds (60%) of Bournemouth residents cut their commuting time, helping almost a third (30%) save more than £100 per month on commuting costs
The impact of lockdown restrictions on the lives of Bournemouth homeowners has made just under two thirds (64%) of people living in the town claim they want to move to a new home, according to the latest data released today by Zoopla, the UK’s most comprehensive property destination.
The data[1], which studies the impact of lockdown restrictions on the views of homeowners in Bournemouth towards their current property, highlights a strong desire for a new home for many local residents.
Out of office
When asked about the chances of returning to an office environment once lockdown restrictions have been lifted, two fifths (42%) of homeowners surveyed said they will continue to work predominantly from home, highlighting the need for additional, flexible space.
This need for space extends to both the indoors and outdoors, illustrated by data from Zoopla in early 2021 that revealed demand for ‘gardens’ topped the list of Zoopla search terms for buyers in Bournemouth in 2020. In fact, six of the ten most searched-for terms by property hunters in Bournemouth during 2020 related to increased indoor and outdoor space.
Time after time
While lockdown has been tough for many people, the Zoopla research highlights that it has also brought some benefits for Bournemouth homeowners.
Half (50%) of those surveyed by Zoopla said that as a result of the restrictions, they no longer had to commute to work.
Of the Bournemouth residents who still commute to work, two thirds (60%) said lockdown has reduced their commuting time thanks to the addition of home working.
Cut in commuting
The benefits of a decrease in commuting has also impacted homeowners’ finances. The research shows that almost a third (30%) of Bournemouth homeowners have saved more than £100 per month on travel costs during lockdown, while almost one in 30 (3%) is saving more than £500 per month.
Christopher Shaw, Director of Christopher Shaw Residential an estate agency in Bournemouth, said: “There’s no question that lockdown has really dialled up the desire for Bournemouth homeowners to find a new property. In many regards, lockdown has unleashed latent demand for more space across the town.
“Whether it’s looking for additional space for a home office, a bigger garden for family time or an annexe for a child to return home or a parent to move in, the desire for new property has skyrocketed since April 2020. We expect this trend to continue as lockdown restrictions look set to stay in place for the next few months.”
Gráinne Gilmore, Head of Research at Zoopla comments: “With the daily commute looking very different for many and all but gone for 50% of homeowners in Bournemouth, it opens opportunities for homeowners to reassess their property needs, and also their location. This is driving an increased desire to move. The savings on offer from less frequent commuting for work can also transform people’s budgets, meaning some homeowners may be able to afford a bigger move than pre-lockdown, further propelling their dream of finding a new home.”
For inspiration for your next move, here are some of Bournemouth’s best listings.
Westby Road, Boscombe,
Bournemouth BH5
Price: £275,000
Wheaton Road, Pokesdown
BH7
Price: £400,000
Meyrick Gate,
16 Wimborne Road,
Bournemouth BH2
Guide Price: £275,000
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For further information, please contact the Zoopla team at Clearbox: zoopla@clearboxcommunications.com / 02895 622600.
Notes to editors
About Zoopla
The Zoopla Limited property division includes some of the UK’s leading property portal, software, marketing and data insights brands that help property professionals market their properties, promote their brand, make informed decisions and manage their business efficiently. Our websites and apps attract over 58 million visits per month and over 25,000 business partners use our range of services.
- Zoopla is the UK’s most comprehensive property destination, helping consumers research the market and find their next home by combining hundreds of thousands of property listings with market data and local information.
- PrimeLocation is one of the UK’s leading property websites, helping house-hunters in the middle / upper tiers of the market to find their dream home from the top estate and letting agents and property developers.
- SmartNewHomes is the UK’s leading website dedicated exclusively to new builds, helping buyers understand the market and search for new build homes from all the leading property developers across the country.
- Hometrack and Calcasa are leading providers of automated property valuations and statistical property market insights in the UK and the Netherlands to partners including mortgage lenders, developers, investors, government agencies, housing associations and others.
- Alto, Jupix and Expert Agent are some of the leading cloud-based estate agency and property management software systems used by thousands of property professionals across the UK for the day-to-day management of inventory, marketing and communications.
- PropertyFile is used by estate agents to improve communication and efficiency with their customers.
- TechnicWeb specialises in designing, developing, hosting and operating fully-responsive websites for the property sector.
[1] Research of 200 homeowners in Bournemouth, conducted by Zoopla in January 2021
