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Author: Sorcha Dugmore

Are renters moving back to the city?

by Sorcha DugmorePosted on

The COVID outbreak in 2020 triggered a widespread trend as renters and homeowners across the nation chose to move away from city life in preference of larger homes surrounded by more outside space.

The move was encouraged even more by the (still growing) work from home flexibility being offered by most companies, giving employees the freedom to choose places to live that are further away from their offices.

But is this still the case?

A Rightmove report in May this year stated that they had seen a 50% increase in home movers looking to move back into Britain’s busiest cities.

So it would seem that many movers regret their decision to move further out. The main reasons for relocating  include missing family and friends, being further away from leisure and sporting amenities, feeling disconnected and craving the social life that the city brings. 

“Bills included” is an increasingly popular demand by tenants

by Sorcha DugmorePosted on

Bills included’ has become the most popular renter search term on Rightmove with an increase of +36% in search volume, overtaking pets and gardens for the first time.

And it’s not difficult to understand why.

As the cost of living sky-rockets in the UK, the average household bills increased by 54% in April of 2022 and were estimated to increase by another 80% by the end of the year.

As renters struggle with the rising costs, they are seeking ways to gain more security and clarity around their outgoings. 

Landlords must now seriously consider the value of including bills against the risk of current unpredictability in rising costs.

Levelling Up agenda back on track

by Sorcha DugmorePosted on

The levelling up agenda proposes plans to improve the standard of living across the UK.

Explained on the gov.uk website as “a moral, social and economic programme for the whole of government. The Levelling Up White Paper sets out how we will spread opportunity more equally across the UK.”

However, there has been uncertainty around when we can expect to see progress on this agenda which has been escalated by the recent focus on parliamentary changes. 

One of the most notable parliamentary changes for the property sector is Michael Gove being reappointed as housing secretary. As Gove returns to the  Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, we can expect the levelling up agenda to once again take centre stage.