One Year On: How COVID-19 has influenced moving decisions

Just over a year ago, the UK held their collective mouth wide open in shock as we watched our Prime Minister tell us we must stay at home. Shortly after this, we were placed into a national lockdown, legally enforcing this suggestion. While it may feel like a lifetime ago to some, It’s impossible to deny the amount of change this pandemic has brought with it in such a short amount of time.

More homebuyers look to escape to the countryside and coastal areas as Cornwall replaces the capital city, London as the most searched for place to live in Britain.

If this year has been anything, it’s been a wake up call for those who’ve been forced to trade their desk in for the kitchen table and work from home. With many people realising they needed more space, we saw a rise in house enquiries and an all time drop off in interest in the likes of smaller property. With an emphasis on ‘With Garden’ primed in their search, young renters have switched up their searching habits enormously since the pandemic began, with two-bedroom semi detached houses now serving as the most popular type of rental properties.

However, for some - this slight step up isn’t enough at all, as many people wish to trade in their apartments and professional postings for something a bit more old school. With retiring taken into account and some workplaces even fully abolishing the notion of a physical workspace, EPA have noted an enormous increase into home buyers debating a lifestyle change and wanting to move to a rural countryside.

The most shocking aspect of all of this, is that although Cornwall has far overtaken London as the most searched for location to live in, you must consider that less than a year ago…they weren’t even close. Sure, Cornwall has always been a popular search, actually acting as the 2nd (under London) most searched location for years. But when we start getting specific to the numbers and acknowledge the fact that 8 Million people currently reside in London, compared to Cornwall’s current population of 0.5 Million, you may understand why we’re so surprised at this development.

But why wouldn’t you want to live in Cornwall? Boasting long stretches of coastline, top beaches and the beautiful countryside, it’s not exactly difficult to see the appeal.