What Changes Have Occurred During Lockdown?

At Hunters Camberwell, we are very keen to know what is taking place in the housing industry and the local area. However, we also take an interest in what people are doing. Not in a nosey way, but when you want to provide the best standard of service to people, it is helpful to know what people are looking for, or what they enjoy doing.

As you would expect, we take great interest in any interest undertaken by Rightmove. The organisation remains one of the leading names in the UK housing market, and when they ask questions, the answers are worth hearing.

While most of the surveys carried out by Rightmove focus on the property market, one recent study has asked people what activities they have been in lockdown. This is an interesting topic, as we all want to know how others are managing their time. The survey also asked people what activities they plan to continue doing in the future.

Lockdown has allowed people to try new things

Rightmove discovered there has been a growth in the following activities during lockdown:

·         Exercising at home rose by 36%

·         Arts and crafts activities rose by 21%

·         DIY work rose by 17%

·         Gardening indoors rose by 19% while gardening outdoors increased by 15%

·         Cooking and baking increased by 12%

It is important to differentiate between what people are doing, and the growth in activities. It is likely many more people have been gardening outdoors as opposed to indoors, but the growth in gardening indoors has seen the greater increase in recent times.

If you are active on social media, it is likely you will be aware of the popularity of these activities. There was a spell when it seemed as though everyone was baking banana bread or sourdough. If some household develop a love of cooking or pick up some new skills, it will be helpful as we move forward.

What do you intend to do after lockdown?

Rightmove also asked people about changes they intend to stick to when we move forward out of lockdown, and the following responses were made:

·         89% of respondents intend to exercise outdoors in the future

·         82% of respondents say they will continue reading

·         82% of respondents say they intend to continue gardening outdoors

·         78% of respondents say cooking and booking will remain part of their life

·         74% of respondents intend to watch movies and TV shows

·         71% of respondents intend to indulge in arts and crafts

It is good to see some people are comfortable in admitting they enjoy laid-back and peaceful activities. Social media sometimes makes people feel as though they need to go on adventures and take on exciting challenges. There is nothing wrong with reading books, watching movies and binging on TV shows at times, and these will always remain popular.

If you are looking for guidance or information regarding the housing market, please get in touch with Hunters Camberwell. As a local estate agent who has the support of a national network, we are ideally placed to provide you with all the help and guidance you need to make an informed decision, so please contact us today.