Londoners are massively buying homes outside the capital: a record in 14 years.

Demand for housing outside London rose during the pandemic. Londoners began actively searching for property in the countryside, where they can comfortably work remotely. According to the real estate agency Hamptons, in 2021 alone, residents of London purchased over 112,000 homes outside the capital, which is 62% more than the previous year. The total value of purchased residential properties reached £54.9 billion, setting a new record.Research showed that London residents are choosing homes at least 55 kilometers away from the city center, which is 10 kilometers more than last year. More than half of buyers (57%) sold their city homes to purchase property outside London. On average, the price of housing in the UK increased from £450,500 in 2020 to £487,000 in the current year.The Mayor of London declared a state of emergency in the city due to the rise in cases of infection with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which may further intensify the trend of moving outside the capital.