Home owners are now moving slightly more often than they were previously, according to Zoopla estimates.

Analysis by the portal – based on comparing Land Registry and Registers of Scotland data for 2018 and ONS estimates on property tenure – claims the average turnover for a property is 20.8 years.

In contrast, research by Zoopla in 2017 found people moved home every 23 years, which it said was up from every 8.33 years in the 1980s.

The latest figures show Kensington and Chelsea have the lowest estimated turnover rate at 35.5 years on average, while the most frequent movers are in Dartford and south Derbyshire at 15 years.

Regionally, those in the east midlands are the most frequent movers, Zoopla said, changing properties on average every 17.9 years, followed by home owners in Scotland who tend to move every 18.7 years.

Meanwhile, those living in London tend to move the least, on average at every 26.2 years.

Laura Howard, spokesperson for Zoopla, said: “These results contradict a common assumption that UK neighbourhoods are becoming more transient.

“But house prices have risen exponentially in the last two decades and many people are unwilling or unable to take on the cost of the ‘next rung up’.

“For agents the often-lengthy spells between home owners moving underlines the importance of building a strong and enduring reputation in the community – for example, having excellent knowledge of the local property market and being reliable and transparent.”

 

Region Turnover in years between moves
1 East Midlands 17.9
2 Scotland 18.7
3 South West 19.5
4 West Midlands 20.5
5 Yorkshire and the Humber 20.6
6 North West 20.6
7 East of England 21
8 North East 21
9 Wales 22.2
10 South East 25.4
11 London 26.2
  Great Britain 20.8