New research has looked at the average length of time between house moves for people in Britain.

The study, by Zoopla, found that the average person in Britain moves home every 22.7 years.
 
Geographically, Scotland is home to the most frequent movers in Britain, where the average person changes property every 19.6 years. South West England is close behind with an average of 20.6 years, followed by the East of England where residents move every 20.9 years. Movers in Wales stay put the longest, taking an average of 26.8 years to move between properties.
 
At a more local level, people from Midlothian are apparently the most frequent movers in Britain, with properties switching hands every 14.9 years – five years faster than the regional average. The London commuter belt area of Dartford in South East England comes second, with the average person changing properties every 16.5 years. Edinburgh comes in third place, with its residents moving every 16.6 years.
 
At the other end of the spectrum, residents of Powys, Wales dwell the longest in their respective properties, moving every 33.1 years. The university city of Oxford is home to the second least frequent movers, with people staying in their homes for an average of 31.6 years.
 
“It’s interesting to see where in Britain property is changing hands more frequently, with home movement in an area typically indicating a liquid property market,” said Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla. “Regions with a shorter time between house moves could offer better affordability than those areas where properties change hands less regularly.”
 
“In contrast, regions where properties change hands less often can suggest a lower level of demand, or less housing stock – particularly in rural areas,” he added.
 

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