Property searches break Boxing Day record, as Zoopla reports busiest Christmas for over a decade
26th December 2020
Zoopla, the UK’s most comprehensive property portal, has recorded a 70.5% increase in traffic on Boxing Day, as homemovers look ahead to the new year and start planning their next move.
After registering the busiest run up to Christmas for over a decade*, the market has recorded sales agreed on £62bn more homes in 2020 than in 2019, with 100,000 sales expected to spill over from the last quarter of the year into 2021.
This year’s Boxing Day bounce compares to a 61% upsurge in traffic recorded on Boxing Day in 2019. It also builds on the 33% increase in demand for property in December 2020 compared to December 2019.
With lockdown meaning more households spending Christmas in their own home this year, properties have been under greater pressure to host and accommodate festive celebrations, with homeowners afforded more time to reflect after an unprecedented year on whether their home is right for them.
For those who find their home no longer meets their needs, many are galvanised into planning a move in the new year.
Tom Parker, Consumer Spokesperson, Zoopla, comments: “The property market has gone from strength to strength this year in the wake of Covid and the various lockdown restrictions, and it’s great to see this continue through to Boxing Day and hopefully beyond.
“With more people spending more time at home this festive season, many are realising that their home falls short when it comes to delivering that Christmas magic - perhaps because the space is too small, the location is lacking or it is too far from loved ones.
“Crucially, the Boxing Day bounce is not a one-off phenomenon; instead, it marks the start of the New Year uptick in traffic. This is set to intensify in January given the now imminent end to the stamp duty holiday, which is set to bring more hungry buyers into the market, keen to find and complete on their dream home before the stamp duty deadline expires at the end of March.”
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