The importance of community

Humans are social animals, forming societies and seeking contact with others for well-being purposes. It is not therefore surprising that buyers and renters look for a sense of community in their new home search.

Three quarters of home movers rated the local community as 'Important' when searching for a new home to buy. Pleasant neighbours were viewed as important by 87%.

A sense of community in a local area would also encourage 72% of renters to rent for longer and, 69% would rent for longer if there was a sense of community within their building.

Neighbourhoods or streets where homes rarely come up for sale are a good indicator of a strong community, as is the number of neighbours a resident knows by their first name.

Source: Dataloft, Property Academy Surveys 2022 (including over 10,400 home movers, over 6,800 renters)