Buying a new home in Hampshire: Eastleigh is most moved-to

Conveyancing solicitors Bird & Co has uncovered the country's most sought-after locations, having analysed June 2021 figures from the Office of National Statistics, HM Land Registry and Rightmove.

But where in the county are people moving to, and why are they choosing Hampshire?

Hampshire. Photo: Google Maps

What are the figures?

The study found that a whopping net number of 6,334 citizens moved to Hampshire in 2020-21 – the third highest figure in the UK.

This was a marked change from the previous year, when the county ranked ninth place with a net internal migration figure of just 4,708.

Where are people moving to?

Eastleigh drew in 1,676 new people, with East Hampshire close behind at 1,638.

Aerial view of Eastleigh

Winchester was in third place (993); then Test Valley (992); Basingstoke and Deane (721); Havant (369); New Forest (335); Hart (235); and Fareham (190).

More people left Gosport and Rushmoor than moved there.

A graph to show where people are moving to in Hampshire

Who is moving to Hampshire?

The study found the age brackets of people moving to Hampshire are mixed, but mainly comprise of 20–24-year-olds.

Bird & Co suggests that young adults are flocking to Eastleigh perhaps because of the transport links and proximity to Portsmouth and Southampton city centres.

Eastleigh train station

Middle-aged homeowners are moving to Havant, either to downsize or retire, whilst the eldest migrants (60-64-year-olds) are establishing themselves in the New Forest.

A surprising addition to the mix is that Winchester migrants are predominantly 15-19-year-olds, which can perhaps be attributed to Winchester University being within the region.

Winchester University- GV new

How are house prices looking?

Currently, the average house price in Hampshire is £386,613 - a figure that is a middle-ground compared to other counties in the list.

In other areas of the UK, such as West Sussex, the average house price soars to £429,756.

Comparing Hampshire to the UK

The full top ten list of the most migrated-to counties is as follows:

How Hampshire compares to other counties

1. Devon: 8,521

2. Norfolk: 7,181

3. Hampshire: 6,334

4. Kent: 6,269

5. Essex: 5,661

6. Derbyshire: 5,631

7. Warwickshire: 5,329

8. Lancashire: 5,260

9. Cornwall: 4,935

10. West Sussex: 4,822

The study report says: "Hampshire also takes the third spot in those with the highest rates of home transactions, behind Kent and Essex.

"Its total of 80,371 home transactions may seem high, but with such a large inflow of people, residents living in Hampshire should expect to see a drastic increase in housing development schemes within the region to cater for the high level of demand the migration brings."

Homebuilding stock

What are the experts saying?

Daniel Chard, at Bird & Co, told the Echo: “Our research has been based on several reputable data sources, but is just a micro-study into some of the nation’s most sought-after locations. The research demonstrates some clear trends as well as throwing up a few surprises.

"With the housing market continuing to flourish after an unstable 2020, homeowners could really benefit from doing their own research to figure out if they’re happy to continue living in their region, despite a potentially huge influx.

"Similarly, landlords and investors may want to consider targeting new regions of the UK to boost profitability.”