Average Brits Moves House SIX Times Over Their Lifetime

The average Brit moves house six times over the course of their LIFETIME, according to a new survey.

Researchers found we move most in our twenties – with a third of twenty somethings upping sticks and moving house between three and five times.

But by the age of 40, half of Brits are settled in to their forever home with no plans to move again.

According to the study, the final move will take us to a property just 19 miles from our parents.

Half of the 1,500 adults polled said their aim is to move back to their home town where their parents still live – although in contrast the other half said this is the last thing they would do.

A savvy 19 percent claim they could get much more property for their money if they move back to be near Mum and Dad and 18 percent said they need their parents help with childcare.

Nearly a quarter went as far to say that they needed to be in close proximity to their old folks as they help them with all aspects of their life and they were like a fourth emergency service, the poll by Independent Network found.

Hold-ups with solicitors, greedy buyers and hidden costs were among the most stressful elements of moving house, as was the upheaval for the children and changing utility providers.

Yesterday a spokesman for Independent Network part of the VEKA Group, which commissioned the report, said: “Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you can do. Very few of us experience a hitch free move, whether it’s all the legal red tape or being faced with a lot more repairs and DIY when we finally get to the new house.

“Creating the perfect forever home for your family’s needs can take time. New windows and doors are one of the first things that people want to do when they move to a new home and given that it can take as little as a day, the survey results show that people often spend more time than this on unpacking boxes and putting up pictures!”

The overall cost of moving, followed by how long it all takes were voted as the most stressful aspects of a house move and the research showed once we get the keys to a new property, the typical adult will spend 7 hours assembling furniture and thirteen hours will be spent painting the walls.

Putting up pictures, shelves, mirrors and lights will be a further ten hours and another ten will be spent cleaning.

Furthermore, the average adult when moving will get through 30 cardboard boxes, 25 screws, 21 old newspapers and a whopping 31 cups of tea.

20 lightbulbs will be replaced, 26 bin bags will be used and 19 wall plugs will be hammered in.

But once the home improvements are made, it takes on average five months for a new house to feel like a proper home.

The survey found the typical adult takes 4 days off work when moving house and aside from the cost of the property itself it sets us back £4735.

Needing more space once children arrive was named as the most likely reason for moving house, followed by wanting to move to a more rural area.

But 18 percent of Brits have been forced to move due to bad neighbours.

BIGGEST STRESSES OF MOVING

The costHow long it all takesHidden costsHold-ups with solicitorsThe packingThe legal red tapeFrustrations with estate agentRepairs you weren’t aware of in the new homeThe unpackingThe emotion of leaving your old homeBuyers being greedy / fussyTaking calls at work to do with the moveDealing with removal companiesMoving the petsVendors being fussy / greedyDecorating the new homeThe upheaval for the childrenArriving in a new areaThe change of addressChanging utility providersLeaving old neighboursTaking time off workMeasuring up for new furniture / curtains