Overview

• In January to July 2025, Londoners bought 31,620 homes outside the capital—5.3% of sales and roughly half the volume recorded in the same period of 2021.
• Hamptons says a weak London market has clipped homeowners’ purchasing power, with a return to office work also damping appetite for long relocations.
• Leavers are targeting nearer, better-value locations such as Dartford, Epping Forest and Thurrock rather than traditional commuter towns like Broxbourne or Sevenoaks.
• Space gains have shrunk sharply, as a typical inner-London seller can now afford a home that is 32% smaller than in 2016, about 553 square feet less.
• Separate data show prime central London prices fell 3.2% in the year to August, while transactions across the city declined by about 6%, according to Knight Frank.