One third of West Sussex home movers purchase within two miles of their old home

The survey, conducted by housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes, also found that 27% of people moved within 10 miles of their previous home, suggesting that 59% of West Sussex residents are staying local when choosing their next home.

In wider research carried out by Barratt Redrow in a nationwide survey, it was found that local moves dominate with 48.7% of buyers remaining within the same local authority area and 67% of buyers moving less than ten miles to their new homes.

The nationwide survey also found that younger first-time buyers moved 5.4 miles on average whereas typically older home movers sought new homes at a median of 4.75 miles. After the pandemic, the average moving distance increased by 31% - suggesting buyers are returning to their hometowns.

Tammy Bishop, Sales Director from Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton division said: “Our data has shown that buyers are moving short distances. This distance increased post-pandemic, but the data shows that we’re serving existing local populations.

“It’s a common misconception that new housing developments attract buyers from out of town in bigger cities, but this isn’t happening as much as people may think. Many new residents will already have been a part of the community and won’t be coming from much further afield.”