The pace and volatility of the market can make it feel like we’re all locked into a kind of housing merry-go-round, swapping flats and semis at lightning speed.
But a 2017 study found Brits only move house every 23 years – half as often as they did before the financial crisis.
Some find themselves priced out of the next rung on the housing ladder, while others can’t (or won’t) stump up the stamp duty.
And homeowners in particularly happy habitation might simply opt to stay put, meaning a property drops out of the market for many decades before reappearing with sensational 1970s wallpaper.
We’ve rounded up 10 London homes that haven’t changed hands for forty years or more.
Mill Hill, NW7
£700,000
This three-bedroom semi, a few minutes’ walk from a good primary school, has been in the same ownership since 1929. Features include tiled fireplaces, bay windows on both levels and a 125 foot west-facing garden, but a fairly comprehensive renovation is required.
eXp, 03304 609968
Ealing Common, W5
£3 million
A striking seven-bedroom, five-bathroom Victorian detached home on an appealing corner plot, minutes from the tube and the common itself. More than 6,000 square feet of space includes four reception rooms on the ground floor, all with grand proportions.
Leslie & Company, 020 3488 6445
Chiswick, W4
£1.25 million
This smart semi with garage is on a prime Chiswick street, handy for the station and Chiswick House and Gardens. It has three bedrooms, a downstairs WC and secluded garden with mature planting. The owners are selling up after 60 years.
Cow & Co, 020 3780 4690
Twickenham, TW1
£4.25 million
A remarkable riverside home with five bedrooms, plus a vast garden and its own boathouse sold with a river Thames mooring. The house, which offers more than 6,000 square feet of space across four floors, hasn’t been sold for more than a century.
Hamptons, 020 3369 4312
Earls Court, SW5
£500,000
This carefully appointed one-bedroom flat sits on a handsome red-brick crescent, within walking distance to the tube interchange at Earls Court. It features almost 3.5 metre ceilings, as well as sash windows, a period fireplace and original coving.
Marsh & Parsons, 020 7244 2210
St John’s Wood, N8
£3.5 million
This unique Grade II listed villa built in Moorish style has plenty of distinctive embellishments, from bespoke cornicing and internal columns to stained glass windows. It’s a short walk from Swiss Cottage, St John’s Wood and South Hampstead stations.
Knight Frank, 020 7483 8334
Hanwell, W7
£575,000
A classic two-up, two-down Victorian cottage within 15 minutes’ walk of the Elizabeth line at Hanwell tube station. In need of cosmetic updates, it offers plenty of built-in storage and potential for a rear extension into the garden.
Sinton Andrews, 020 8567 3219
South Norwood, SE25
£700,000
A Thirties detached family home in a quiet cul-de-sac near several open green spaces, including South Norwood Lake and Grounds. It has three bedrooms, an integrated garage and a good-size utility room off the kitchen.
Homecastle, 020 8771 1448
Ealing, W13
£850,000
This semi-detached family home, a few minutes from Pitzhanger Park and fifteen from the Elizabeth line, hasn’t been sold in sixty years. Though in need of some refurbishment, it has a converted loft room and a large garden.
Gibbs Gillespie, 020 3889 9097
Belsize Park, NW3
£1.3 million
This 1950s townhouse with some original features has been in the same ownership since it was built. It follows a classic midcentury plan with a garage, bedrooms and utility space on the ground floor and an open plan reception above.
