While many ex-Londoners are boomeranging back to the capital, there are still plenty of London leavers moving out of the city.
A report from Savills reveals that six per cent of all home moves outside of London between January 2022 and August 2023 were made by people relocating from the capital.
Commuter hotspots in Surrey and Essex topped the charts for London leavers, along with Kent and Hertfordshire.
Some local authorities saw almost half of the people moving house in that period were expatriates from the capital.
In Surrey’s Epsom and Ewell, 46 per cent of home movers in that period were relocating from London.
Essex’s Epping Forest saw 45 per cent of movers as migrants from the capital, and Dartford saw 43 per cent.
More than one in 10 house moves in East and South East England are made by people coming from London.
Most popular London leaver hotspots
|
Top 10 local authorities |
Area of UK |
% home movers coming from London (Jan 2022 - Aug 2023) |
Avg. house price (second hand, 12 months to Aug 2023) |
Epsom and Ewell |
Surrey, South East |
46% |
£610,758 |
Epping Forest |
Essex, East |
45% |
£606,455 |
Dartford |
Kent, South East |
43% |
£392,733 |
Hertsmere |
Hertfordshire, East |
41% |
£665,699 |
Spelthorne |
Surrey, South East |
39% |
£480,095 |
Elmbridge |
Surrey, South East |
39% |
£952,022 |
Tandridge |
Surrey, South East |
39% |
£607,767 |
Broxbourne |
Hertfordshire, East |
39% |
£452,866 |
Sevenoaks |
Kent, South East |
36% |
£625,461 |
Brentwood |
Essex, East |
36% |
£599,535 |
Source: Savills using Experian
With back to office initiatives reducing the amount of remote work available, commuter hotspots are becoming increasingly attractive.
“Those migrating out of London tend to journey along its traditional corridors, often moving out in the same direction as they currently live, in search of more space, often following friends or family,” said Frances McDonald, director of residential research at Savills.“We typically see those living in South West London move into Surrey, for example, while those based in East London make the move to Essex,” McDonald added.
“This is particularly true for those searching for better value for money, without necessarily compromising on work or transport connections.”
Slightly further afield, the Cotswold’s saw seven per cent of movers coming from London, while Bath and North East Somerset registered just over three per cent.
Savills found that ex-Londoners don’t move too far away — only two percent of home movers in the North East and Scotland are London leavers.
The report also ranked the local authorities that had seen the biggest increase in London re-locaters since the pandemic.
Elmbridge in Surrey, already a traditional commuter hotspot, saw a 5.7 per cent increase in popularity, with 39 per cent of home movers coming from London.
Tunbridge Wells, further out in East Sussex saw a 4.6 per cent uptick, as did Rushmoor in Hampshire with a 4.5 per cent increase.
Savills hypothesised that, with interest and mortgage rates so high, Londoners were looking for cheaper options when it came to relocation.
The average second hand home on Tunbridge Wells was £566,288 and in £363,353 in Rushmoor, compared to £952,022 in Elmbridge.
