The demographic profile of homemovers in Q1 2025 has shifted considerably from the same period in 2024, with a growing number of older and more affluent buyers choosing to purchase homes, data from TwentyCi has revealed.
At the beginning of this month, nearly 1.47 million households were progressing through the homemover owner-occupied journey, up by 80,000 compared to January. This is a further reflection of continued momentum in the market. However, the ages and incomes of homemovers have changed compared to last year.
In research released as part of its latest Property & Homemover Report, analytics firm TwentyCi found that pensioners made up nearly 25% of all movers in 2025, compared to only 17% in Q1 2024. Individuals in older life stages (those ages over 45 but excluding pensioners) accounted for 42% – a marked increase from 37% in the previous year.
In comparison, all age brackets below 45 are now less likely to move than they were in the previous year.
Households earning £50,000 or more now make up 52% of all movers, up from 46% a year ago. Meanwhile, those with incomes of £70,000 or more account for 31%, compared to 26% in the previous year.
Colin Bradshaw, TwentyCi’s CEO, says: “In Q1 2025, the UK property market experienced its highest volume of new listings in six years, with strong buyer demand fuelling a +9.3% increase in sales compared to the same period in 2024.
“Exchanges are also up by more than +23%, with a significant portion driven by the Stamp Duty threshold change that took effect on 1st April. This prompted many first-time buyers to complete transactions ahead of the deadline – promising news for brands looking to engage with movers actively setting up their new homes.
“For this audience, delaying key purchases like furniture and home essentials is rarely an option, making them a high-intent and valuable consumer group. Accurately identifying households at various stages of the moving journey presents a significant opportunity to drive revenue and improve ROI across multiple sectors.”
When examining location trends, homes in accessible rural areas have grown in appeal – gaining popularity at the expense of both urban centres and more remote rural regions.
Looking regionally, there were more home moves in the East of England. The location of homemovers in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024 are shown in the table below:
Those in the East Midlands are more than +9% more likely to relocate in 2025, with the East of England showing an increase of over +5% from last year.
Conversely, home moves in 2025 have become significantly less common in Scotland, with declines also evident in Northern Ireland, Wales, the North East, and London.
Mid-to higher-priced properties have become more popular, with homes in the £350k–£1m range now +10% more likely to drive moves. Detached properties have seen a notable rise in popularity, accounting for nearly 24% of all moves – up 7.8 % from Q1 2024. Similarly, semi-detached homes have grown in appeal, while flats and terraced houses are less popular.
Demand for larger homes has risen, with four and five-bedroom properties each seeing an increase of around +7%. Meanwhile, studio and one-bedroom homes have declined in popularity. Three-bedroom properties experienced a modest YoY increase of +2%.
Colin adds: “The data shows that homemovers in 2025 are more affluent, earning comparatively higher incomes than those in 2024 and are drawn to detached houses. As a result, businesses should consider reorienting their marketing strategies to place greater emphasis on this influential and high-intent consumer group. TwentyCi identifies the best time to market to consumers before or after their move.”
Download the full Property & Homemover Report here .
