The average homebuyer travels 330 miles in total while searching for their ideal property, according to new research from the property technology platform The Property DriveBuy.
The study, based on a survey of recent UK homebuyers, highlights the sheer scale of the physical effort involved in securing a new home – from long commutes to prospective locations to repeated trips between viewings.
On average, each buyer travelled 26 miles from their current home to the area where they were viewing properties, a 52-mile round trip.
Over the course of the typical six viewing days, with buyers seeing around two properties per day and covering an additional three miles between each, the total journey added up to roughly 330 miles.
PART OF THE HUNT
Despite the extensive travel involved, most buyers appeared unfazed by the effort. Almost eight in ten (78%) said the distance travelled was “about what they expected,” and 89% said they would not change their approach in hindsight, viewing the process as an accepted part of house hunting.
The findings come as increasing numbers of movers look beyond their immediate area in search of better value, lifestyle changes or new hybrid working arrangements.
For some, this has expanded the geographical scope of property searches far beyond traditional commuting zones.
MAJOR TASK
Steve Foreman (main picture, inset), Founder and Chief Executive of The Property DriveBuy, says: “Buying a new home is a major task. The financial side of things is often discussed, but the physical and mental excursion required often comes as a surprise, especially to first-time buyers.
“While the many miles you have to cover to find your dream home are an unavoidable reality, those miles don’t have to go to waste.
“The Property DriveBuy app enables buyers to set live alerts along their route and uncover hidden property opportunities they’d never have known about before due to the restrictive search criteria of traditional portals. So while you may have to hit the road to find your next home, now you can make the journey work for you.”
