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June 9, 2025
Our recent Opinium research poll found that one in five UK homeowners (19%) considered moving in the past two years but decided not to go ahead. And it’s not just one thing stopping people from moving but rather a cumulative burden of overwhelming costs – not least stamp duty – stress and unsuitable housing options.
Amongst this group of UK homeowners who wanted to move but didn’t, their main reasons were:
High house prices (cited by 35% as an obstacle) have consistently outpaced wage growth, making it increasingly difficult for homeowners to afford the next step on the property ladder. The moving process (35% cite the stress of moving as a barrier) continues to be in dire need of reform and must be part of any serious housing policy.
27% stated a shortage of suitable homes as the reason for not going ahead with moving. Whether that means larger properties for growing families, step-free homes for older people, or affordable options in the right locations – a lack of the right properties is forcing homeowners to stay put. Even if they want to move, many simply can’t find a property that meets their needs or budget.
Stamp duty was cited by almost a quarter (24%) of UK homeowners that considered moving in the past two years but didn’t. For a family wanting to upsize to a home worth £400,000, stamp duty adds £10,000 to the upfront costs – and that’s before factoring in all the other moving expenses. It’s a major barrier that’s stopping 800,00 homeowners from right-sizing.
Paula Higgins, CEO of HomeOwners Alliance commented;
“Our research reveals a housing market in crisis – not because people don’t want to move, but because they simply can’t afford to.
Paula added,
“With over 800,000 homeowners shelving their moving plans, we’re seeing families trapped in unsuitable homes, unable to upsize for growing children or downsize as they age. While house prices are difficult to control, the government does have levers it can pull and we hope to see this reflected in the Spending Review and the long-awaited housing strategy.
Stamp duty is acting as a handbrake on the housing market. When a family faces a £10,000 stamp duty bill just to move to a £400,000 home – before they’ve even paid for surveys, legal fees, and removal costs – it’s no wonder a quarter of potential movers are staying put.
We also need the right mix of homes. Older homeowners need step-free properties, growing families need larger homes, and everyone needs options they can actually afford. The government needs to look at the existing housing stock and build homes that better suit their needs. Finally, although it may not grab headlines, making the home buying and selling process less of a Russian roulette game and more certain and streamlined would give people the confidence to move.”
Methodology:
This is our 9th annual Homeowner Survey. The latest research was conducted by Opinium on behalf of HomeOwners Alliance surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ between 1–5 April 2025 including 1,269 homeowners. Of these, 236 homeowners considered a move in the last two years but did not move in the end.
Calculations: There are 24.8 million households in England & Wales, 62.5% of these, 15.5 million, are owner occupied 2021 Census. In Scotland, as at 31st March 2020, there are 2.6 million dwellings, 62% or 1.6 million are owner occupied Scottish Household Survey and in Northern Ireland there are 814.2K homes and 70% are owner occupied, 570K, Northern Ireland Housing statistics 2020-21.
19% of the 17.7m UK homeowners considered a move in the last 2 years but did not go ahead (3,363,000). Of this group, 24% cited stamp duty costs as the reason for not going ahead with moving plans equating to 807,120.
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