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traditional home county Commuter Belt favor falling back as home movers move away LondonThe analysis indicates that affordability is improving and people are spending more time working from offices during the coronavirus pandemic.
After years of ignoring more affordable areas, the traditional commuter belt is “back on the map”, according to property firm Hampton.
Its analysis shows that, in 2025, 18.2% of homes sold in the Home Counties were bought by Londoners – the highest share since 2017.
The report said that figure is up from 15.4% in 2024 and seven percentage points higher than the pandemic low of 11.1% in 2022, as buyers moved to the South West, Midlands and North in search of location and value.
House price growth in some parts of the north has recently been better than in the south EnglandHowever, average home prices are often higher in the South.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), within England North east Annual house price inflation was highest in October at 5.0%. This was lowest in London, where the average house price fell by 2.4%.
The Hampton report said: “The return to office-based working has reinforced this shift, creating places like SurreyHertfordshire and Buckinghamshire are attractive to those seeking a balance of lifestyle and connectivity.
In further signs that people leaving the capital are staying closer to their previous home, Hampton, which used data from Connells Group, predicted that 54% of people leaving London in 2025 moved to a new location within 50 miles, up from 47% in 2024.
The report identified Chigwell and Basildon in Essex, Chatham and Gillingham in Kent, Caterham and Esher in Surrey and Luton in Bedfordshire as hotspots with particularly significant annual increases in London buyer shares.
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The report said that after steadily increasing its share for years, the proportion of first-time buyers leaving London has fallen for the first time since 2019.
According to estimates, their contribution to purchases made outside London is 31.0%, which is slightly less than 31.5% last year.
On average, first-time buyers spent £298,360 on their first home outside London, which is £13,450 more than last year.
Meanwhile, movers selling homes in London spent £457,480 on their new home outside London, almost £98,000 more than in 2024, reflecting increased purchasing power from lower mortgage rates and a shift back towards more expensive areas closer to the capital, Hampton said.
Anisha Beveridge, head of research at Hampton, said: “Those leaving London are moving back to familiar territory. While the pandemic has pushed buyers into the countryside, this year’s move has been concentrated around the M25.
“Falling mortgage rates have reduced the pressure to chase affordability hundreds of miles away, and the return to office-based working has made proximity important again. This is a pragmatic shift – people still want more space and are yearning for the future, but they are balancing this with connectivity and value.
“Looking ahead, affordability will continue to be the key driver of migration to London. If borrowing costs continue to fall, we expect more families to live in the capital or commute short distances.
“The strength of the London market will also play a big role – but with prices unlikely to rise significantly in coming years, equity gains will remain limited. This means aspirations for a large country estate will be tempered by economics for some time yet.”
Here are some of the locations identified by the Hamptons as recording particularly big jumps in the proportion of London buyers:
– Chigwell, East of England
– Chatham, South East
– Caterham, South East
– Frierns, East of England
– Ishtar, southeast
– Gillingham, South East
– Basildon, East of England
– Thorpe Bay, East of England
– East of Luton, England