Recent house sale enquiry data has revealed property sale trends over the pandemic and last four years.
Despite the pandemic’s effect on the country’s economy and employment rate, the stamp duty holiday and rise of remote working have given Brits a better chance at uprooting and selling their homes. Analysing the last 4 years’ worth of house sale enquiries, UK’s leading home buying company We Buy Any Home have shared regional trends and the most common reasons why people are selling in Wales.
How does Wales compare to the rest of the UK?
The rate of change has varied wildly across the different UK nations. In 2018-2021, Wales saw a net 4% decrease in house sale enquiries, whereas in the last year, the nation has seen an uptake in enquiries by 5%.
Year on year change of house sale enquiries by UK nation
| Country | 2018-2021
percentage change |
2020-2021 percentage change |
| England | 4.02% | 14.24% |
| Wales | -3.84% | 5.28% |
| Scotland | 8.59% | -7.74% |
| Northern Ireland | -66.67% | -12.50% |
How year on year house sale enquiries changed by Welsh county: 2020-2021
Ceredigion in Wales has seen the biggest 1 year decrease in enquiries, with enquiries down by 53%. Bridgend in Wales saw the second biggest dip, with 38% less enquiries between 2020 and 2021. This was closely followed by Merthyr Tydfil, which saw a 36% decrease in sales.
However, some counties saw a huge uptake in enquiries over the past year. Monmouthshire is the most extreme example of this, with a 111% increase. Other Welsh counties which saw an uptake in enquiries were the Vale of Glamorgan (where enquiries went up by 92%) and Torfean (where enquiries went up by 65%).
How year on year house sale enquiries changed by Welsh county: 2018-2021
However, the counties with the largest year on year change over the last 3.5 years are not too dissimilar, suggesting that the pandemic just exacerbated established trends. Ceredigion again saw the largest decrease in enquiries, with residents making 61% less enquiries. Next up was Gwynedd with a decrease by 50%. Pembrokeshire saw a 45% decrease, the third largest of any Welsh county.
The county that saw the biggest increase in house sale enquiries since 2018 was Cardiff. The city has seen an upsurge of enquiries by 78%. Homeowners in Torfaen were also 65% more likely to enquire after a quick sale in 2021 than in 2018. The place with the largest pandemic increase, Monmouthshire, also saw an increase of 46% in enquiries over the last 3.5 years — the third biggest increase in Wales.
Year on year change in house sale enquiries in Welsh council districts
| Council District | 1 year % change | 3 year % change 2018-2021 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 8% | -12.90% |
| Bridgend | -38% | -35.42% |
| Caerphilly | 61% | 26.19% |
| Cardiff | 52% | 78.43% |
| Carmarthenshire | -24% | -6.25% |
| Ceredigion | -53% | -60.87% |
| Conwy | 2% | -4.08% |
| Denbighshire | 30% | 21.74% |
| Flintshire | 29% | 12.50% |
| Gwynedd | -10% | -50.00% |
| Isle of Anglesey | -8% | -4.35% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | -36% | -41.67% |
| Monmouthshire | 111% | 46.15% |
| Neath Port Talbot | 0% | -10.17% |
| Newport | 0% | 38.46% |
| Pembrokeshire | -13% | -44.90% |
| Powys | -8% | -15.00% |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | -27% | -37.18% |
| Swansea | 12% | 33.33% |
| Torfaen | 65% | 65.22% |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 92% | 14.29% |
| Wrexham | 29% | -33.33% |
What were the reasons Welsh were looking for a quick house sale? 2018-2021
In the UK overall, a desire to ‘upsize’ was the biggest driving factor behind a quick sale, and represented 18% of enquiries. However the reason Welsh homeowners cited most when looking for a quick house sale was sale of a second home, suggesting that mitigating unnecessary costs has become a priority over the last few years.
The Welsh were also less likely than the English, Scottish and Northern Irish to enquire to We Buy Any Home about a house sale after a divorce or a breakup.
Reason for sale by percentage in Wales 2018-2021
| Main Reason For Sale | % of Total |
| Selling 2nd home | 17.73 |
| Other | 15.11 |
| Upsizing | 14.86 |
| Downsizing | 9.11 |
| Retiring | 8.87 |
| Inheritance | 8.05 |
| Dream house | 7.80 |
| Moving / Relocating | 7.47 |
| Divorce/relationship break-up | 4.68 |
| Financial Difficulties | 4.02 |
| Chainbreak | 2.30 |
