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Unique Buyer Searches In 2020

2020 was a year like no other, so it should come as no surprise to learn buyer searches were a bit unusual in the year just gone by.

At Prestige & Village, we worked closely with many buyers and vendors. We know the unique requests in the housing market in the past year, and we like to think we have played a part in helping people.

What are you looking for in a new home?

Information provided by Good Move offers insight into what buyers were looking for, and how this differs from previous years.

The searches which experienced the highest growth compared to the previous year are as follows:

  • Apartment with balcony (147%)
  • Apartment with hot tub (139%)
  • House with tennis court (127%)
  • House with swimming pool (109%)
  • House with driveway (107%)

Functionality is important for many buyers

Other increases worth paying attention to are functional searches. There was a 106% increase in searches for a driveway, a 101% increase with respect to conservatories and there was a 77% increase in searches for a double garage.

What property types are in demand?

Searches for “2-bedroom house for sale” rose by 64% compared to the 2019 figures. Searches for “2-bed house for sale” rose by 47% compared to the previous years’ figures.

Where were people searching for homes?

  • A 73% increase in searches for houses for sale in Buckinghamshire
  • There was a 72% rise in searches for houses for sale in Berkshire
  • West Yorkshire experienced a 69% increase in house searches
  • There was a 61% rise in searches for homes in Hertfordshire
  • Surrey experienced a 59% rise in searches for houses for sale

The cities which experienced the largest increase in the year are as follows:

  1. Bradford experienced a 52% increase compared to 2019
  2. Liverpool searches increased by 51% compared to 2019
  3. There was a 48% rise in searches in Sunderland compared to the previous year
  4. Searches in Preston increased by 45% in relation to the previous 12 months
  5. Newcastle witnessed a rise of 42% with respect to searches

Nima Ghasri, Director at Good Move, comments: “Against all odds, this year has positively impacted the UK housing market and completely transformed the way buyers and sellers look at properties. More and more people are moving away from flats and apartments and into homes with outdoor space, and we’ve also seen many people looking to move away from cities into more rural areas.”

Nima Ghasri also said; “As we approach the New Year, we wanted to look back on the year in property search and reveal what potential buyers were actually looking for this year. It’s interesting to see that they have been searching for more luxurious features such as a swimming pool and tennis court, no doubt due to the increase of time spent at home and leisure facilities closing due to the pandemic. It’s also fascinating to see the areas where people are searching for properties the most, with South-East and Northern England the two hotspots. As we move into 2021, we look forward to seeing how the property market adapts to buyer’s needs.”

At Prestige & Village, we care about our community, and supporting others. We aim to provide you with as much help and assistance as we can. If you have any property or housing questions, please feel free to contact us today.

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