Where Londoners move to, rising rents, and getting heated over broken boilers: Property news

A rundown of the latest property statistics

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Around 57 per cent of Greater London home sellers choose to stay within the capital, with people in Watford, Croydon and Twickenham the most loyal to their location. The analysis of home moves over the past five years by My Home Move indicates that Chelmsford, Essex, is the most popular relocation choice. For those who chose to move out of the London area the most popular after Chelmsford are Southend-on-Sea, also in Essex, and Tonbridge, Kent.

Annoying neighbours

Parking issues cause the most friction between neighbours, says a survey by Provident, followed by noise, and then pets/children. Parking problems are worst in Gloucester, while noise is the biggest concern in Edinburgh. Leeds and Wolverhampton were the cities to score highest for residents overhearing arguments.

Who is renting?

The average rent for new tenancies in the UK (outside Greater London, where it is £1,521) is now £744 per month, 5 per cent up on this time last year. The fastest rises are in Greater London, the East Midlands and the South-east, say HomeLet figures. Its latest data also show that single tenants made up a third of of new tenancies on rental homes, down from two-thirds in 2008. Over the same period, tenancies signed by two tenants rose from 28 per cent to 52 per cent and those signed by three or more from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.

What sells your home

Central heating and double glazing are the top “must-have” features for homehunters, according to a survey by Gocompare.com. In third place is a garden, followed by secure doors/windows, with off-road parking in fifth. Only 15 per cent of people said good local schools were essential.

Scotland sales

Scotland has seen the highest number of January home sales since 2008, up 24 per cent year-on-year. House prices have also risen, up 0.8 per cent over the past month. The only areas which have seen a decline in sales are Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City. Stirling has the largest increase in house prices, with the value of an average home up 13.5 per cent year-on-year. Overall, Your Move estimates that the average house price in Scotland is £171,079.

Happy homes

Design expert Oliver Heath has launched a series of short videos for Homebase suggesting how to make easy but effective changes in your home to help you feel happier and healthier.

Moving costs

Two out of five house buyers have had to borrow money to pay for unexpected moving costs. In a poll for Kiwi Movers, the most common issues were bank charges for money transfers and insurance add-ons such as indemnity insurance.

A view to a sale

When Hillarys asked people what view they would most like from their home, the top 10 choices were:

1. Beach views

2. Coastal landscapes

3. Small, picturesque village life

4. Farmland with animals

5. Idyllic rural countryside

6. Suburban community life

7. Bustling city life

8. Landscaped gardens

9. Historic/heritage sites

10. Woodland

About 15 per cent also said they would like a view of “other houses”. On average, people said they would pay an extra 20 per cent for a house with their ideal view.

Boiler problems

Just over half of people have gone without heating for at least a day, and almost a fifth have had to take days off work because of boiler problems. The research by British Gas also shows a third of people find boiler issues more stressful than a broken phone or work deadlines.

Insuring treasures

Only two-thirds of people who own antiques and vintage items have listed them on their home insurance. A survey by Direct Line shows nearly half of people struggle to estimate the value of their personal possessions. Around a fifth believe they have items that are worth a small fortune, but have never had them valued – 16 per cent only realised they were under-insured when they had a fire, flood or theft.

Downsizing

Nearly half of those thinking of moving home within the next three years plan to downsize, says Lloyds Bank, which estimates detached-home owners could make an average of £117,000 if they move to a semi-detached house. The average age for a downsizer is 53. A fifth say they are downsizing earlier than anticipated, due to health, changes in a relationship, or a need to be closer to better local amenities.

Student accommodation

The top three “wants” on students' property search lists are safe, secure accommodation, a good internet connection, and (maybe surprisingly) a washing machine, according to a survey for the Mistoria Group. In fourth place is being close to a university campus.