The boomerang effect: the hunt for homes hots up in London while countryside searches plummet

According to MediaVision, the volume of searches for “rooms to Rent London” has increased by 98 percent since 2021, while searches for “shared ownership London”, 48% higher, and “houses for Sale in Devon”, 37% lower. This is a result of the pandemic when thousands of London residents moved out in a “race for space”. London property prices plummeted and London rents fell during the pandemic, when thousands of people moved out in a “race to space”. However, offices have reopened since last Summer, which has led to renewed interest in city living, especially for flats. Louis Venter, MediaVision’s chief executive, stated that “online search behaviour is such a significant indicator of peoples’ thoughts and decision-making processes.” Many people in the South-East want to be closer to work, as it is no longer necessary to work from home. “READ MOREThe London areas where house prices have risen most since the first Covid lockdown. This data shows that people aren’t as excited about living in commuter and coastal areas as they once were. “READ MOREThe London areas that have seen house prices rise the most since the first Covid lockdown. London: ‘We traded one and a quarter bedrooms in London for a house near the sea and made GBP200k. London rents: A crisis in affordability is looming as rentals are in high demand. This data comes as Chestertons, an estate agency, said it had noticed a spike in London house sales in recent weeks. According to the analysis, there were 51% more buyers and 35% more viewings in London than January 2013. This is despite the fact that the number of properties available for sale has fallen by 8% compared with January 2021. A report released from analysts at City Hall yesterday found London’s population is growing again as thousands who left the capital for the suburbs and the shires during the pandemic are returning.Chestertons chief executive Guy Gittins said: “To see new buyer inquiries of this scale at the beginning of the year is truly remarkable.”