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The end of the ‘Forever Home’?

ended 03. November 2025

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00.01 TUESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2025

New research from Zoopla that looks into the concept of the 'Forever Home' reveals that 63 per cent of younger homeowners (18-34 year olds) find the 'forever home' concept less important than older generations, prioritising flexibility and renovation potential rather than permanence.

Interestingly, across all age groups, 30 per cent of British homeowners believe they have yet to find their forever home, rising to 36 per cent in the South East and the East Midlands.

The research also reveals that:

  • Nearly half (45 per cent) of the same group of homeowners expect to move home within the next five years, embracing a flexible 'Right Now Home' model.
  • 23 per cent of 18-34 year olds view their property as a financial asset to be leveraged, significantly higher than the seven per cent average across all homeowners.
  • 82 per cent of 18-34 year olds place high importance on a home's future renovation potential, suggesting they view their property as an ongoing project.
  • Despite the desire to renovate, 39 per cent of homeowners find relocating to a different location to be a more financially sensible choice than staying put and remortgaging to fund a major extension or renovation.

What is your reaction to the data? What does it reveal about the economy and the housing market? Any other thoughts?

Responses by the afternoon.

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Darryl Dhoffer
Founder at The Mortgage Geezer
That 82% figure isn't vision; it's aspirational delusion fuelled by social media channels.
The reality for 18-34 year olds is they often buy fixer-uppers out of necessity, immediately encountering the hidden costs of outdated infrastructure—things that Instagram tours conveniently edit out. They are juggling career building and high cost-of-living pressures, assuming they have the time, cash reserves, and trade expertise to sustain an endless project. This optimism clashes hard with the sluggish reality of contractor delays, unexpected structural finds, and the high price of fixing DIY mistakes. They mistake a necessary financial liability for a fun, ongoing lifestyle hobby, setting themselves up for burnout or half-finished rooms.
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Editor
Rob Mansfield
Independent Financial Advisor at Rootes Wealth Management
This data is not surprising and it reflects the reality of our housing market. With a huge lack of supply, the forever home is unattainable for most. What's clear is that it isn't stopping people trying to wheel and deal their way up to their dream home. Imagine how strong our economy could be if the government could get this enterprising spirit out of property and into more productive sectors.
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Scott Gallacher
Director at Rowley Turton
I’m not at all surprised by this research. Today’s young homeowners grew up on a steady diet of Property Ladder, Homes Under the Hammer and Grand Designs. Combine that with high house prices and stamp duty if you move, the appeal of “adding value” through extensions and renovations, and it’s no wonder over four in five 18–34-year-olds now look at a home’s renovation potential — with almost a quarter seeing property more as a financial asset than simply a place to live.

Likewise, the finding that 45% of this age group plan to move within five years isn’t shocking either. With growing families and career moves, many are naturally looking for more space or a new location.
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Editor
Peter Dockar
Chief Commercial Officer at Gen H (Generation Home)
This makes sense, doesn't it?

Younger homeowners have grown up in a period of incredible house price growth. Now, if they can even get a mortgage, they've probably had to buy a property they wouldn't want to live in forever – what 25-year-old can afford a 4-bed property to accommodate the family they might like to have down the line?

Buying a home and flipping it, or at least leveraging one's way up the property ladder, has been the dominant narrative for decades. We shouldn't be surprised when young people view their property as an asset as well as a home.

What I find particularly interesting is that stamp duty makes it incredibly hard to actually trade up. Unless the budget implements a more sensible approach, many buyers might find their 'right now home' turning into their 'forever home' unless they can afford to cough up those extra thousands.