Positive Brits happier with homes and neighbours during lockdown

• A third of adults feel more positive about their home following lockdown
• 36% feel a greater sense of community with their neighbours
• 1 in 10 Brits (8%) living through lockdown with no outdoor space

Almost a third (31%) of Brits feel an increased sense of pride in their home now than prior to lockdown and a further third (36%) feel a greater sense of community with their neighbours.

With socially distanced VE day parties held across the nation, and communities coming together weekly to Clap for Carers, lockdown has led to people feeling closer to those around them.

People living in detached houses have felt the greatest increase in ties to their community and neighbours (43%), followed by those in semi-detached houses (41%), bungalows (36%), terraced houses (31%) and flats/apartments (26%). People aged 55 and over are also more likely to have noticed an improved sense of community (38%) compared to the younger generation of those aged 18 to 24 (31%).

This positive trend is seen despite two thirds of Brits (66%) living through the Covid-19 lockdown in a home without a dedicated space to work or study, rising to 70%, for those under 25.

Some people are also living with minimal, or no, outdoor area of their own, with almost a tenth (8%) seeing out lockdown in a property with no outside space or garden. A further 14% either share a garden or outdoor space (7%) or have a balcony or terrace (7%).

Whilst the type of home has been no barrier to adorning windows with rainbows, and other cheerful decorations for the NHS, almost a fifth of Brits surveyed for Halifax, in partnership with YouGov, are seeing out lockdown in a flat (18%), and a further fifth (22%) in a terraced house. In addition, whilst many are waiting out lockdown in a property with 3 bedrooms (40%), almost a tenth only have one (9%). A further 6% are living in a property with a spacious five bedrooms or more.

However, most people (71%), say they have no plans to move from their current property, post lockdown. Those in bungalows are most inclined to stay put (86%), compared to 75% in semi-detached properties, 71% in terraced houses, and 53% of those in flats and apartments.

Of the very small number who were planning on moving, but have since reconsidered (3%), the most common reason is due to a change in financial circumstances (37%), whilst over a fifth (21%) have fallen back in love with their property, after spending an increased amount of time in it over the past months.

For those who are planning on pushing ahead with a move when possible, the main driver was needing more space (30%), whilst over a fifth (22%) said spending so much time at home had made them see faults with their current property.

When asked more generally about moving, UK adults agreed indoor and outdoor space would be the main factors (13% and 15%) in making them want to move, and almost a tenth (9%) said they’d like to move to a less populated part of the country.

When it comes to working from home, something a great many Brits have had to do a lot more of recently, almost a quarter (24%) now have a greater desire to do it, although 10% have found their desire to work from home has decreased since lockdown.

For those who are planning on pushing ahead with a move when possible, the main driver was needing more space (30%), whilst over a fifth (22%) said spending so much time at home had made them see faults with their current property.

When asked more generally about moving, UK adults agreed indoor and outdoor space would be the main factors (13% and 15%) in making them want to move, and almost a tenth (9%) said they’d like to move to a less populated part of the country.

When it comes to working from home, something a great many Brits have had to do a lot more of recently, almost a quarter (24%) now have a greater desire to do it, although 10% have found their desire to work from home has decreased since lockdown.

Russell Galley, Managing Director, Halifax, said: “Lockdown will have been a difficult time for many, particularly for the 1 in 10 who don’t have access to outdoor space. However, it’s cheering to see that almost a third of people feel more positive about their home following lockdown, and a greater sense of community with their neighbours, a testament to our ability to keep optimistic, and come together, in the face of challenging circumstances.”

Property priorities

Our attitudes to location, location, location may also be shifting. Whilst Brits continue to believe the local area is the most important consideration when choosing a home, the proportion of people saying this is their top consideration, fell from 39% to 31%, when asked for their views before and after lockdown. Comparably, people viewing the amount of external space as their primary concern when moving house, rose from 8% prior to lockdown, to 18% after lockdown had been in place for several weeks.

Property popularity

When Brits do feel the time to move is right, they will find that the growth in house prices, depends very much on the type of property.

Over a five year period, terraced houses have grown in value by 45%, while flats have grown by just under two fifths (39%). Detached houses have gained the least value overall growing 29%.

The house price growth of different property types varies across the UK, with semi-detached properties in the North (27%), Yorkshire (33%), and South East (35%) all increasing in value the most over the last five years, when compared to other property types.

Terraced houses have seen the greatest gains in the North West (35%), East Anglia (41%), and Greater London (54%).

In the West Midlands and South West, it is bungalows which have increased in value the most, both by 36%. In Scotland, flats have seen the greatest price increase (22%) in the last five years, and in Wales, semi-detached and detached properties, have both seen the greatest increase in value (34%).

First-time buyers are primarily buying terraced housing (35%) followed by semi-detached properties (30%). A fifth (21%) choose flats and one in 10 (10%) purchase detached properties.