Despite mortgage rates remaining high, and less applications being approved by lenders, new research reveals many homeowners are considering selling up due to developments in the area impacting their community.

The new research from Accoya reveals that even though many homeowners believe their current property is their forever home, almost a quarter (22%) have toyed with the idea of moving due to being unhappy with local construction work*. On top of this, more than one in seven (14%) respondents said that they have already moved house due to a new development in the area.

With one in three (36%) homeowners saying they have either moved or considered moving due to a new development, the research also explored the most common reasons why developments cause disturbance. The top three are that they cause an increase in road traffic, are constructed on local green space or because the design was unsympathetic to the local heritage.

Top 5 reasons why homeowners have moved, or have considered moving due to a new development:

1. Increased the amount of traffic on the roads 37%
2. Built on the local green space, reducing the amount of green space in the area 31%
3. The look and feel of the development didn’t take into account the local heritage/history 28%
4. It brought in the wrong crowds 24%
5. The construction of the development was too loud and dirty 23%

However, almost a third (30%) of homeowners say they chose their current property based on the community spirit in the area and one in four hope to stay in their current community for the rest of their lives, despite new developments in the area.

“New developments have always been an area of contention within communities across the country. However, it’s concerning to see that so many people have considered moving because a construction project has caused issues within the local area.

“The fact that more than a quarter of homeowners have either moved, or considered moving, due to construction developments not taking the local history of an area into account is really concerning. Developers need to give greater consideration to design elements that are sympathetic to the local history and culture, not remove from it.

“Here in the UK, we have communities that are rich in heritage, are home to historical buildings and really showcase the country’s historic roots, which is why it’s so important to keep the spirit of the place in mind when planning new developments. This can be done by considering the types of products and materials which are used when constructing or restoring new buildings. A few examples of this include replicating or matching existing facades, replacing historic windows and doors with long lasting woods like Accoya rather than manmade plastics and using more natural materials, such as timber cladding that can be more sympathetic to an area’s look and feel too,” comments Gill Edwards, head of ESG at Accoya.