Lockdown survey reveals Welsh are rethinking where they live

• Survey of over 2,000 people reveals almost 1 in 3 people in Wales are reconsidering where they live

• Almost half say they would move if working from home situation became permanent

• 1 in 3 spent lockdown browsing properties online

A new survey has revealed that the coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdown has forced Brits to reconsider where they live.

29% of people in Wales are now rethinking where they live, mostly due to a newfound desire to live closer to family members and the new working from home arrangements meaning less need for people to live near busy towns and cities.

The survey of over 2,000 UK adults conducted by Censuswide and commissioned by estate agency Yopa asked people about their relationships with their homes, families and communities, generating some interesting responses.

1 in 5 people said their employer had suggested working from home would become the norm in the future and 41% said that, if this were to be the case, they would reconsider where they live.

The pandemic has put people off living near cities, with 22% of people in and around Cardiff considering moving further outside of the city, and 45% of people said they would prefer to travel by foot, bicycle or car over public transport in the future due to virus fears.

Yopa’s Regional Director for Wales Richard Vickery says,

“People had property on the brain during lockdown, with 1 in 3 people in Wales using the time to browse property online and 39% cracking on with DIY jobs around the house. It’s not surprising that Brits’ attitudes towards their properties have evolved over the lockdown period; for many of us it’s been the most time we’ve ever spent in our homes. For a lot of people, it was a time to take stock of their lives and consider whether they were truly happy with where they live.

“The lockdown had many of us dreaming of more space, with 1 in 5 people in Wales stating that they now feel more inclined to move to a bigger property and 28% looking for more garden space. 1 in 5 also said they were now keen on moving to the seaside. This is in line with buyer trends we are spotting at Yopa, with demand for family properties on Wales’ beautiful coastline sky-rocketing.”