A new study has revealed that, 1 in 9 British homeowners have contacted an estate agent to find out more about a neighbour’s home and 6% of those polled have gone on to book a viewing.
A large amount of British home owners are regularly browsing online property listings for homes for sale in their local area yet have no intention of moving home themselves, according to new research conducted by a home interior specialist in the UK.
The team at www.Hillarys.co.uk polled a total of 2,234 Britons aged 18 and over as part of ongoing research into the home lives and habits of UK adults.
Participants were asked if they regularly browsed online property listings. Almost two thirds (64%) stated that they checked on property listing websites at least once a month. However, just one eighth (13%) revealed that they currently had plans to move home.
When asked why they browsed properties with no intention of buying, the top five motives were revealed as follows:
- I want to see what the house prices in other local areas are like for when I am ready to move home – 71%
- I like to see what else I could have got for my money– 58%
- I am intrigued to see how my neighbours have decorated their homes when I see their homes go on the market – 34%
- I am looking for properties as a friend/relative is looking to purchase a new home - 26%
- I like to see what I could buy in my local area if I came into a large sum of money/won the lottery - 23%
Next, all respondents were asked if they had ever been online to search for a property listing after noticing a ‘For Sale’ sign erected outside a neighbour’s home. The vast majority of homeowners (88%) admitted that they had done this, with the average amount of time between noticing a property for sale and researching its listing online revealed as 48 hours.
Furthermore, 11% confessed they’d contacted an estate agent to enquire about further details on neighbours property, and 6% admitted they’d gone as far as to book a viewing at a neighbour’s home once it was on the market.
Tara Hall, spokesperson for www.Hillarys.co.uk, said the following:
“It’s always interesting to see what else is out there and what other people have done with their homes. However, it’s surprising to see how many people are bold enough to snoop in on their neighbours’ homes!”