According to Reallymoving, this is defined as people buying a more expensive home than the one they are selling.
Reallymoving’s data showed that the share of upsizing homemovers had been trending upwards since autumn 2023, when borrowing costs started to ease. The share of transactions using a mortgage also rose to its highest level in eight years in January, at 82.5%. The firm said this indicated improved confidence among borrowers.
This has also coincided with a 16% fall in house prices when adjusted for inflation over the last four years, according to Nationwide data.
Rob Houghton, co-founder and CEO of Reallymoving, said: “The shift from downsizing in 2023 to upsizing in 2026 highlights how sensitive mover behaviour is to borrowing costs. When mortgage rates peaked, we saw downsizer activity surge, suggesting many homeowners were freeing up equity to help family members buy. Now that borrowing costs have eased, upsizers are firmly back in the driving seat.
“Real house prices have fallen significantly in recent years, so while mortgage rates remain higher than the ultra-low levels of the pandemic era, the overall affordability equation has improved. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, the jump to a larger property has become achievable again for many homeowners. If mortgage rates continue to fall through 2026, the traditional ladder dynamic – homeowners stepping up to larger properties – could reassert itself as the defining feature of the market.”
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Staying close to home
As well as buying a more expensive property, two-thirds of upsizsers are buying homes with more bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms purchased overall was stable at 2.8, but upsizers buying a home with more bedrooms than their previous property reached 66% in Q1. This was the highest since Reallymoving began tracking bedroom data in 2021.
The data found that movers were not relocating too far from their old home, with the average move distance being nine miles – the shortest distance since before the pandemic.
Among upsizers alone, 41% stayed in the same postcode district. Again, this was the highest share in nearly a decade.
Reallymoving said this meant people were able to afford extra space locally, rather than move to a cheaper location.
Houghton added: “We’re seeing a clear shift towards people upsizing within their existing communities and staying close to schools, work and support networks rather than relocating further afield. The trend for longer-distance moves we saw during the pandemic years has now fully reversed.”
