When homes have a hold on us

• Buying a home is like falling in love, you can expect to go through the same ups and downs.

• Love at first sight? Never settle for what doesn’t feel right. The average owner occupier spends 17.6 years in their home, so pick well and be ready to commit to a long-term relationship.

• Owner occupiers who are mortgage free have been in their property the longest, staying an average 23.8 years. Those buyers with a mortgage stay a shorter, but still significant, 9.3 years on average. Source: Dataloft by PriceHubble, English Housing Survey 2023–2024