During the lockdown, it was very much business as usual for the property sector, and people were still allowed to view properties. However, due to government guidelines surrounding the pandemic and keeping people safe, specific changes to working practices did occur.
As far as viewings are concerned, those looking at viewing rental properties could only do so when the tenants were outside. Plus, multiple households weren’t allowed to view single properties.
Moving house was also allowed. However, government guidelines advised movers to pack as much as possible before the home removals team entered their property, who are required to follow strict COVID guidelines.
With this in Mind, why did Searches for Moving House Fall 29%?
We’re not entirely sure, as there are more substantial reasons why people would choose to move before or during a lockdown. For example, greater home working rates may have encouraged more people to move to more rural locations to achieve a better quality of life.
Indeed, when the second lockdown started, people began to realise they needed more space. They may have favoured a more rural location where social distancing was easier to maintain.
The reality is that many have been hesitant to move, even after the government clarified that the market could remain open in all four tiers. Now, it appears more of us are looking to move, now lockdown is over.
Why did UK Searches for Furniture Removals Increase 316%?
It appears that searches for furniture removals were more popular outside lockdown, where people perhaps felt more comfortable to move home. During other periods, like between January and April 2020, there seems to be great hesitation.
This could be because many people were unaware of the rules surrounding moving and were therefore happy to delay it until the situation improved. There was a period during the third national lockdown when no one searched for furniture removal whatsoever, a time when the UK government only encouraged moving if ‘absolutely necessary’.
Once the UK government published a roadmap to exit lockdown, searches increased once more, as people felt more comfortable moving.
A Similar Term ‘Home Removal’ also Experienced an Increase of 95%
This happened between 15th March and 11th April 2020, before falling between the 11th April and 27th June 2020. Reasons behind the decline may include:
- Fewer transactions taking place for residential properties
- Reduced demand for housing
- A more significant number of completed transactions occurring at a lower price
After this, things looked pretty positive, particularly for July. Then, as the country lifted from the end of its third lockdown, things improved even more.
A Particularly Frequent Search was for whether House Moves were Permitted During Lockdown – Are they now Allowed?
The truth is, house moves have always been permitted, and the housing market has remained open during the lockdown. However, the government did only advise people to move unless absolutely necessary.
Additionally, the government put rules in place to keep house moving safe during the lockdown. For example, people outside the household or support bubble that is moving should not help with moving unless 100% necessary.
The Term ‘House Move’ Appeared to be Searched Most in Larger Cities
This includes places like London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and Wythenshawe. These cities are densely populated areas, where many residents are seeking a new life in rural areas.
How did Lockdown Rules Affect Moving House and Furniture Removals?
There seems to have been much confusion surrounding whether people were permitted to move house in lockdown or not, as indicated by Google search queries. While generally, this was still allowed, the government did introduce guidance to carry out this safely.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that searches for moving house were more significant outside of lockdown when it was safer to do so. While fewer people were searching for moving house during the first and second lockdowns, search volumes increased in the third, as people became less fearful of the risks.
