Looking to why, the top features that made lockdown harder were small garden/outdoor area (33%), lack of indoor space (27%) and no outdoor space (24%).
The research also shows that there has been 90,000 Google searches every month for ‘dogs for sale’, since March 2020.
In relation to this, the report outlines that 28% of house movers are looking for extra space for pets.
As well as this, Royal London noted that it is seeing house movers beginning to look for properties in a location with home offices, and high-speed internet, as well as those with more open floor plans and more parking.
Furthermore, 17% of people actively moving, or looking to move, to a new house in the UK said that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed where they want to live.
Mona Patel, consumer spokesperson at Royal London, said: “The restrictions and lockdown measures have seen millions of households in the UK set up remote offices from their kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms.
“With so much time being spent indoors, it was inevitable that people would start thinking about their home environment.
“Unsurprisingly, space is the most desirable feature for home movers who want more room both indoors and outdoors.
“While cities have always been popular home buying locations, the pandemic has seen a shift in attitude as our research shows that there is a greater demand for rural locations.”
