01/01/2023
FOR THE LOVE 💖 OF DOGS 🐶. On the 8th Day of Christmas, My True Love said to me 🎶🎶...
"It's New Year's Day and we have been for such a lovely country walk with Gem (the border collie) and Truly (the Wire Haired Dachshund), why don't we move out to the countryside for good and enjoy the fresh air, an open fire and more?" AND SO, they checked out www.inthecountryside.com for the best selection of country homes in Essex and South Suffolk. Meanwhile, at the Zoe Napier Group, we helped out with a few interesting facts about DOGS and how this continues to boost the sale of unique homes.
👉INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DOG OWNERSHIP 🐶
According to Dogs Trust, their National Dog Survey revealed a massive boost in dog ownership during the pandemic. 3.2 million dogs joined families during lockdown, taking the UK dog population to 12.5 million. A whopping 23% of the UK’s dogs now belong to the generation known as ‘pandemic pups’ — dogs who were acquired under six months old since 1 March 2020.
The pandemic also saw a significant shift in the average age of dog owners, with a huge increase in first-time dog ownership in the UK. 48% of those pandemic pups were acquired by under 44s. And 18–24-year-olds were over six times more likely to buy a pup in the last two years than they were before the pandemic. For many people, and especially younger generations, the opportunity to work from home made it possible to add a dog to their family.
For many, acquiring a dog (especially for the first time) created a huge shift in lifestyle requirements, and the requirement to find space to walk our beloved dogs.
HOW THIS CONTINUES TO BOOST RURAL ESSEX
With the huge increase and need to necessitate the new four-legged family members, we have seen huge demand in buyers moving from towns and cities to our suburban, semi-rural and rural areas of Essex.
Of course, the buyer’s lifestyle changes are not just for the pooches' benefit, but for the newfound healthier work/live balance since the pandemic. Buyers are more mindful of wanting open space and a large plot to enjoy homegrown produce and space for a detached home office.
Our Country & Equestrian, Barns & Unique Conversions, and Coastal and Waterside niche brands have served well to this new population of post-pandemic movers and despite the Bank of England’s efforts to slow down inflation, the demand for property in the rural and coastal hotspots of Essex remains strong for 2023 – so long as the property does not have an over-inflated price tag!
