London residents quitting capital flock to the ‘three Cs’ – Caterham, Chatham and Chigwell…

The number of homeowners leaving London has fallen to its lowest level since 2013, data shows.

And most London residents who moved away from London to live elsewhere didn’t go very far.

According to the Hamptons, more than half of London homeowners who bought property this year moved within 50 miles of the capital; this rate was 54 percent versus 47 percent in 2024.

Meanwhile, there has been a notable revival in the Home Counties, with 68 per cent of those leaving London buying a property in the south of England.

Hotspots around the M25 such as Chigwell, Chatham and Caterham have also grown in popularity with homeowners moving out of London. All are more affordable options within easy reach of London.

53 per cent of buyers in Chigwell, Essex, came from London; This represents a 33 percent annual increase.

The number of buyers leaving London and moving to Chatham in Kent has increased by 28 per cent a year, accounting for half of all buyers.

Basildon and Thorpe Bay in Essex, Gillingham in Kent and Luton in Bedfordshire have also been hit, with Londoners fleeing the capital and moving elsewhere this year, according to the analysis.

In 2025, 18.2 per cent of homes sold in the Home Counties were bought by a Londoner; This is the highest share since 2017.

That figure was up from 15.4 percent last year and 7 percentage points higher than 2022’s pandemic low of 11.1 percent.

Within the Home Counties, expensive locations such as Esher in Surrey have seen a huge increase in interest from London removalists.

In total, Londoners bought 57,600 homes outside London this year; That’s about 44 percent less than the 2021 peak of 103,000 moves.

The Hamptons said the trend triggered by the pandemic to buy a home further away in places such as Midland in the north of England had been ‘reversed’, with London residents largely choosing to stay relatively close to the capital.

Londoners bought 5.6 per cent of homes in the rest of England and Wales this year; This was down from 5.7 percent in 2024 and was well below the 8.2 percent recorded in 2022 at the height of the pandemic, when buyers were rushing for more space.

Leaving the capital: Number and share of homes purchased outside the capital by a London resident

Too busy: Londoners leaving the capital flock to places like Chigwell

The average mover traded a house in London for a house 45.6 miles away; That’s 10 miles less than last year and back to 2021 levels.

first time buyers It moved an average of 52.3 miles in 2023, compared to an average of 54.8 miles. mortgage rates reached the top.

Although the London market was stagnant, shareholding households were able to move as borrowing costs decreased.

On average, first-time homebuyers spent £298,360 on their first home outside London; this is £13,450 more than last year.

Meanwhile, movers spent £457,480 on their new home outside the capital; that’s almost £98,000 more than in 2024; This reflects the increase in purchasing power created by lower mortgage rates and the shift towards more expensive locations closer to the capital.

Londoners’ purchases of investors and second homes from outside the capital softened, falling to 26.5 per cent overall from 28.8 per cent last year.

Hamptons said: ‘This reflects a more cautious stance towards tax and regulatory changes generally.’

How far is it? Most London residents stay reasonably close to the capital when moving elsewhere

Where do Londoners stay away?

Some locations further away from the capital have seen demand from London buyers fall in 2025.

Sittingbourne, near the Kent Coast, recorded the biggest decline; The share of homes purchased by London residents has fallen from 21 percent in 2024 to 8 percent.

Billericay, Leighton Buzzard and Gravesend also declined, while further afield Portsmouth, Leeds and Derby experienced smaller declines, reinforcing the shift away from long-distance lifestyle moves closer to the capital.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research for the Hamptons, said: ‘London leavers are returning to familiar territory.

‘This year’s moves have been concentrated around the M25 as the pandemic pushes buyers deeper into the countryside.

‘Falling mortgage rates have eased 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 change; ‘People still want more space and are keen to be future-ready, but they are balancing this with connection and value.’

He added: ‘Looking ahead, affordability will continue to be the key driver of exodus from London.

‘If borrowing costs continue to fall we expect more households to stay in the capital or move shorter distances.

‘The strength of the London market will also play a big role, but equity gains will remain limited as prices are unlikely to rise significantly in the coming years. This means the desire for a grand country estate will be tempered by the economy for some time to come.’

Data published by the Office for National Statistics earlier this month revealed that average property prices fell in October amid rumors of tax rises. Budget It’s keeping people from moving, according to official figures released today.

But buying agent Jonathan Hopper of Garrington Property Finders said house prices could start to rise again in the New Year.

He said: ‘Since the budget, buyer confidence has rebounded well and the market could recover strongly in early 2026.’

While house prices are on the rise, the situation is different for apartments.

The average price of a flat fell to £192,892, 2.6 per cent lower than a year ago, the data shows.

In London, where flats make up most of the housing stock, the average flat price fell by 5.1 per cent from £450,756 to £427,689.