Londoners Buying Lowest Share of Property Outside Capital Since 2013

Published: 08 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Londoners are purchasing the lowest share of homes outside the capital in more than a decade, as the slowdown in the local housing market and the return to office-based working restrain their ability to move further afield.

New research shows that buyers from London accounted for just 5.3% of house purchases elsewhere in the country during the first seven months of this year. This marks the lowest proportion since 2013 and reflects a sharp decline in mobility compared with the pandemic years, when urban dwellers drove a surge in demand for larger homes in rural and coastal areas.

Between January and July 2025, Londoners bought 31,620 properties outside the capital, nearly half the 63,600 recorded during the same period in 2021 at the height of the Covid-era “race for space,” according to figures compiled by Countrywide estate agents.

Analysts suggest that while the partial return to office-based work has reduced the appetite for long-distance relocations, the stagnation in London’s property values is the main obstacle for homeowners seeking to sell and buy elsewhere.

“The lack of price growth in the capital has really clipped the wings of would-be movers,” explained Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at real estate firm Hamptons, which carried out the analysis. “Many London homeowners simply haven’t built up enough equity to make the leap to where they want to go, especially as prices outside the capital have continued to climb.”

The impact of these tighter budgets can be seen in the destinations chosen by London movers. Dartford in Kent has become their top relocation choice, followed by Epping Forest and Thurrock. These more affordable locations stand in contrast to the preferences of 2015, when Londoners frequently moved to Broxbourne in Hertfordshire and Sevenoaks in Kent.

“We’re seeing a clear shift in where Londoners are heading,” Beveridge added. “The pandemic pushed buyers into leafier, lifestyle-driven locations, but today’s movers are more pragmatic.”

The slowdown in London’s housing market has had significant consequences for buyers looking to trade up. According to Hamptons, someone leaving inner London today can afford a home that is 32% smaller than in 2016, losing on average 553 square feet – roughly the size of two double bedrooms. Over the past five years, property prices outside the capital have risen by 26%, compared with just 8% in London.

Additional data from estate agents Knight Frank underscores the challenges facing the capital’s housing market. Average house prices in prime central London, covering areas such as Chelsea, Camden, Notting Hill and Westminster, fell by 3.2% in the year to August. Prime outer London, which includes neighbourhoods such as Battersea, Fulham, Hampstead and Richmond, saw a modest increase of 0.5%. Overall, however, the number of transactions across London declined by 6%.

The combined findings from Hamptons and Knight Frank indicate that the pandemic-driven exodus from London has largely reversed, with fewer buyers now looking to escape to the countryside or coastal regions. According to the property website Rightmove, London has once again become the most searched-for location in the UK, and the majority of Londoners – around 58% – say they intend to remain in the city.

Meanwhile, demand for coastal properties has softened. Homes by the sea, once in hot demand during the pandemic, are now taking longer to sell, with the average time to find a buyer in such areas rising from 52 days to 73 days.

The figures highlight a changing housing landscape, where affordability constraints and shifting lifestyle priorities are pulling Londoners back towards the capital rather than pushing them away.