Welsh home movers most likely in UK to move after relationship changes, study finds

Mark Mansfield

People in Wales are more likely than anywhere else in the UK to move home following a change in their relationship status, according to a new study.

Research commissioned by the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) found that 28% of recent home movers in Wales said their move was prompted by a relationship change, compared with a UK average of 21%.

The study, based on responses from more than 5,000 people who had bought or sold a home in the past five years, did not ask whether those changes involved the start or end of a relationship.

However, Wales recorded the highest proportion of respondents citing relationship changes as a reason for moving.

The findings also suggest that people moving home in Wales face some of the most stressful experiences in the UK housing market.

Only respondents in East Anglia reported a less positive experience when asked how stress-free their move had been.

Among Welsh respondents, one-third (33%) said the time taken to exchange contracts was a major frustration, while 27% identified the need to repeatedly chase updates as one of the most difficult aspects of the process.

The report suggests these delays and communication problems can be particularly challenging for people already dealing with significant life changes.

The study also found that Wales has one of the highest rates of failed property transactions in the UK.

Six in 10 Welsh home movers said they had experienced a sale or purchase falling through before completion.

The experience appears to have had a lasting impact, with 64% saying it had made them reluctant to move again in future.

The findings form part of OPDA’s annual Future of Homebuying report, which examines trends and experiences across the UK housing market.

While the report identified differences between regions, it found many frustrations were common nationwide, including lengthy delays, poor communication between parties, repeated requests for information and reliance on manual processes.

Nearly four in five respondents across the UK (78%) said the home-buying process requires fundamental reform.

Maria Harris, chair of the Open Property Data Association, said: “Buying or selling a home remains one of the most significant financial and emotional commitments that most of us will ever make.

“It should be a milestone that supports our goals and life events, yet too often the experience falls short of expectations.

“What this research clearly shows is that while experiences can vary by region, the underlying challenges are consistent across the UK.

“Too many consumers are still dealing with poor communication, repeated requests for information and delays that make the process feel unnecessarily complex and frustrating.”

She added that there was growing support for reforms aimed at making the process quicker and more transparent.

The Open Property Data Association was established in 2023 and works with lenders, estate agents, conveyancers, technology firms and government bodies to promote the use of shared digital property data.

The organisation argues that greater data sharing and standardisation could help reduce delays and improve certainty for buyers and sellers.

The research was carried out by Censuswide between February 13 and February 23 this year among adults who had bought or sold a property within the previous five years.