eBay.co.uk report reveals the secret lives of Britain’s home-movers

To celebrate its ‘coming of age’, eBay.co.uk has launched its inaugural UK Retail Report – which opens the door on how British home-buyers (and owners) have been buying and selling in the past 12 months.  

Taking a year in buying and selling activity by UK house buyers - created by merging eBay data with information from the Land Registry - eBay has for the first time provided a picture of how home movers buy and sell in preparation for their new house purchase.

The report finds:                                         

1. Doing up the house for sale is a bigger job than ever. There is a 78% increase in sales for kitchen islands two months before a home owner moves as they spruce up their current property for sale for discerning buyers, who are harder to please than ever.
2. A big ‘splash out’ purchase is common for the new home. Any cash that movers have left over from the big move appears to be spent on a new mattress - up 125% increase in sales  a month before purchase
3. And despite the stress of moving, the purchase of a fridge or freezer is top of our lists for the new pad. We plan to ‘keep cool’ with sales of fridges and freezers up 118% the month before purchase too.
4.  A new front door makes a big impression - and there’s a  389% uplift in sales of doors and door accessories the month we move in. Lots of new home owners still Change the locks and opt for a new front door too.
5. The great British BBQ follows shortly afterward we move in with a 133% increase in purchases the month after moving, as hosts and hostesses prepare their gardens for visitors - with essential BBQ listings including everything from a Portable Landmann Piccolino BBQ at £47 to a three tiered round Smoker BBQ at £179.[1]
6. And despite taking pride in our gardens, this year it appears Brits are ditching their secateurs and giving their vases some ‘plastic surgery’ with eBay.co.uk selling 95,000 artificial roses from January to April this year, that’s nearly one every minute[2]
7. When it comes to upgrading our possessions when we move, it is also ‘sofa so good’, with nearly a quarter of Brits (23%) saying they’d be most likely to upgrade their sofa when they move house, according to One-Poll research commissioned by eBay[3]
8. Two months after moving day our minds – which have been fully set on things for the house – are wandering back to treats for ourselves. Home buyers typically trade in soft furnishings for fashion with a 40% uplift in men’s and 37% uplift in women’s clothing eight weeks after they move house.
9. And after three months in we are thoroughly fed up of unpacking boxes and need to get away from the new pad. There is a 142% uplift in searches for holidays and travel on eBay in this period by new home owners.
10. Six months down the line and we can finally face the big renovation work with a 41% spike in searches for toolboxes and storage and a 35% uplift in measuring and layout tools as we prepare to take on the big jobs. Home owners tend to wait a while before taking the plunge on big projects.
11. And we are also getting more adventurous with our DIY, taking on bigger projects at home. Underfloor heating sales have seen a huge rise in the past year (253% yoy) as DIYers take to YouTube to learn how to undertake bigger projects without the experts.

But men and women buy for their new property differently:  

1. Décor still sits with the girls - 70% more women will purchase wallpaper one month after moving into a new property, compared to men.[4]
2. A new home also means new towels for the girls, with women buying nearly 120% more towels a month after moving in, compared to men.[5]
3. With men buying 239% more electrical fittings than women a month after moving in, it seems that the boys still enjoy DIY, with products including double switched sockets and extractor fans topping the list.[6]

Doing up the house is also changing:

1. Brits are also getting more creative with their homes without the need for huge renovation. Revamping old decoration in their homes is a big trend, with tile decals seeing a 239% growth, with over 30,000 current listings currently on site, with styles including Moroccan to geometric[7].
2. We’re aso into the decluttering trend.With the back to school and university season in full swing, research from eBay last autumn saw a fifth (21%) of the 2,000  polled parents saying they’d be decluttering or redecorating their home;  with one in ten planning to sell unwanted clothes, toys or kit[8]We’re increasingly house proud too. Last summer, a third of Britons (33%) were also spending more on doing up their home and garden than on going away with nearly a fifth of us (18%) spending the same on both[9]
3.  Brits faour Friday as the most popular day for home purchases, with choosing to bag a bargain at end of month too[10]

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the eBay UK Retail Report:

Every year, millions of people buy and sell on eBay in the UK. We're one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces - and this year, we turn 21.

For 21 years, we've been with consumers as online shopping became a part of daily life. We were among the first to recognise the retail power of the smartphone - our app has now been downloaded 314 million times. And we've helped an army of UK entrepreneurs set up shop from their laptops, trading with customers across the world - and around the clock.

Whether they're a buyer or a seller, or even both, when it comes to tech, Brits have always been early adopters of change. Through our data and insight into their behaviours, we've learned a great deal from our customers - and now we're sharing that insight with you through the UK Retail Report.

About eBay:

Established in 1995, today eBay is one of the largest marketplaces in the world with 164 million active shoppers and 1 billion live listings today. Our mission is to be the world’s favourite destination for discovering great value and unique selection.

57% of eBay’s sales are touched by mobile.

On eBay.co.uk:

A make-up product is purchased every 10 seconds

A necklace is purchased every 3 seconds

A wedding item is purchased every 6 seconds

A power tool is purchased every 9 seconds

A motorcycle part is purchased every 8 seconds

A Lego product is purchased every 19 seconds

In the UK on mobile:

A cookware item is purchased every 13 seconds

A pair of men’s shoes is purchased every 6 seconds

A tablet is purchased every 1 minute

A bedding item is purchased every 13 seconds

A car part is purchased every 3 seconds

A car is purchased every 2 minutes

CONTACTS

Yasmin Khostovan and Ruth Evans at Launch PR – 020 7758 3900 or ebay@launchpr.co.uk.