Cambridge, Oxford… and Leicester: Where London’s first-time buyers go in search of more affordable homes
Some 20% of families moving to Leicester from outside the local authority came from London in 2018
First-time buyers are escaping the costly capital and moving to Leicester, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Bristol in search of affordable housing, analysis of official figures reveals.
Some 20 per cent of families moving to Leicester from outside the local authority came from London in 2018, compared with 15 per cent five years earlier.
Meanwhile, families relocating from the capital to Portsmouth and Bournemouth accounted for 18 per cent and 16 per cent of houses bought by non-locals, a 4 per cent and 3 per cent rise respectively.
Bristol also saw a 4 per cent increase in the number of Londoners snapping up homes in the city, from 12 per cent in 2013 to 16 per cent last year.
The analysis by Hamptons International reveals Cambridge and Oxford attract the highest proportion of London movers at 22 per cent.
A spokeswoman says: ‘One of the biggest incentives for families to move outside of London is to get on the first rung of the housing ladder.’
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