Edinburgh named as the UK city Londoners would most like to relocate to

Thousands of Londoners looking to relocate to Edinburgh according to study

Edinburgh has been revealed as the city most Londoners would like to relocate to, according to a new study based on google searches by people living in the UK Capital.

The study by estate agent comparison site GetAgent used Google Keyword Planner to investigate the search volume of property-related search terms such as ‘property for sale in [city/town]’ and ‘houses for sale in [city/town]’ for 582 different towns and cities around the UK. Search data for London only for 12 months up to November 2023 was used, in order to reveal where Londoners are investigating moving to.

The growing trend of Londoners leaving for greener pastures peaked during the pandemic, and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. With rising mortgage rates pricing first-time buyers out of purchasing a home in London too, more and more of London’s population are searching for new homes outside of the M25.

The study by estate agent comparison site GetAgent revealed that more Londoners want to relocate to Edinburgh than any other UK city.

GetAgent analysed Google search data within London to discover which locations have seen the highest amount of interest over the last 12 months, revealing the UK hotspots capturing the attention of Londoners looking to relocate.

The Scottish capital Edinburgh is the number one city that Londoners are researching a move to, with almost 8,700 searches a month for property-related terms such as ‘houses for sale in Edinburgh’. Scotland also seems to be piquing the interest of relocating Londoners more than anywhere else, with third place taken by a Scottish city too. Glasgow pulls in 4,790 searches per month from Londoners looking for properties for sale.

Other notable cities in the top 15 include Birmingham in second place, Manchester, another more affordable UK location that has thriving cultural and creative scenes came fifth, and Sheffield, with its excellent transport links to London came eighth.

The research also looked at which towns around the UK Londoners are planning a move to, and revealed that Luton in Bedfordshire is the most highly desired - with 2,880 searches a month for houses or properties for sale. Unlike the top 10 cities, there were no Scottish towns that made this top 10 list.

Colby Short, co-founder and chief executive of GetAgent said of the study: “The pandemic encouraged many people to move out of the nation’s capital, as its residents sought to save money on living costs, increase their access to green surroundings or even just give themselves a chance to try somewhere new. This trend hasn’t dampened however, and with more Londoners continuing to migrate away from the capital we were interested to find out which destinations are drawing them in.

“With so many stunning locations around the UK, it’s an exciting process to find your dream town or city, but finding the right place to settle down is important and involves considering crucial factors like transportation, community, culture and affordability. If you’re planning a move, make sure you rank how important each of these factors are for you and be sure to find out how much your home is worth so you can explore all of your options.”