New research by a Monmouthshire housebuilder has revealed that people are moving away from their local areas - and closer to family. 

The study, by Barratt Developments and David Wilson Homes, shows that since the pandemic, there has been an increase in households moving out of their local areas.

According to the study, four out of five potential house buyers have said that they would like to move closer to family members. 

Although 50 per cent of those surveyed moved fewer than five miles from their old home, there has been an uptick in the amount of households relocating to either a different local authority or a different county. 

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of people who moved into a different local authority rose to 57 per cent, up from 49 per cent. 

In line with this, the number of households relocating to another county increased from 36 per cent to 44 per cent. 

One example of this is Graham and Erika Rawles, who recently made the move back to their hometown in Caldicot to spend more time with their family.

On moving into their new home, Graham said: “With our family spread out far and wide — some members here in Caldicot and others across the world in Bahrain — and us not getting any younger, it has become increasingly important to us to spend as much time as we can with our children and grandchildren.

“Moving away from our lives in York was a huge step — leaving behind very dear friends and memories made over the years. But Mel and the team at David Wilson Homes made the process incredibly smooth — sharing support and knowledge at every step of the way.

“We can now look forward to our first Christmas with our family in our new home — and getting to enjoy our grandchildren growing up around us.”

The study also found that the average distance between former homes and new homes was “steadily decreasing” before the pandemic, but increased by 39 per cent between 2019 and 2022. 

Richard Lawson, Sales Director at Barratt Developments South Wales, commented: “Proximity to loved ones is becoming increasingly important to our customers — and we’re pleased to be providing quality new-build homes that can be enjoyed by families for years to come. 

“The heartwarming stories of these families reuniting with their loved ones are testament to the communities we are building and contributing to across South Wales — and we look forward to welcoming many more families to our developments this side of Christmas.”