Over half of Brits indulge in 'roomscrolling' - peeking at homes beyond their budget
A study of 2,000 adults found that 42% love to daydream about other people's homes, with 69% often browsing estate agent windows to see what's for sale.
Over half of Brits have confessed to 'roomscrolling' - the act of browsing property listings without any real intention to purchase them.
A survey involving 2,000 adults has uncovered that 42% are indulging in fantasies about other people's abodes, with an astonishing 69% admit to regularly checking out estate agent displays to get the scoop on available homes and their asking prices.
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Nearly one in ten (7%) have a habit if snooping at what's available every time they pass by an agency, 31% can't resist sharing property images with friends and family through WhatsApp, texts, or emails. This is despite 56% acknowledging they aren't in a financial position to buy.
Graham Paterson, CEO of AI-powered property search engine Jitty, whose company is behind the poll, commented: "People love looking at other people's properties and chatting about them with pals."
He added: "We can walk past hundreds of homes each day but never know what they look like on the inside - which is why it's so interesting to have a peek online."
Paterson also noted: "It's not all about being nosey though, looking at other properties is a great source of inspiration and it's interesting to see what other people can do with a space similar to your own - and how much they are selling for."
The study further revealed that 34% of roomscrollers are drawn to properties well beyond their budget, while only 29% stick to searching within their financial reach.
The top motivation for this apparent 'roomscrolling', for 28%, is simply the curiosity to see inside a neighbour's house. Others noted how they were keen to discover what kind of property they might afford in the future (27%) and compare their own abode to neighbouring ones (24%).
A curious 12% peek at the prices friends have forked out for their homes, and 15% simply enjoy the tranquillity of browsing.
Interestingly, the study also revealed that 22% feel a surge of motivation after eyeing the market offerings. Behavioural Psychologist, Jo Hemmings, commented: "We have an innate desire to be curious, and from babies we are intrigued by, and learn from, our local surroundings."
"It's interesting to see how many people like to have a look in estate agent's windows and compare what's on the market to their own home. This triggers our social bonding hormone, oxytocin - increasing our desire to learn about our neighbours' living spaces and style.
"With so many searching for properties out of their price range there is a strong aspirational 'what if we could afford? ' aspect to their roomscrolling. This gives us positive visualisation and a sense of escapism, as well as an inspirational motivation to see how they can improve their own homes to the latest standards by seeing prestigious or modern decor, style and design.
"By roomscrolling, there doesn't seem to be a sense of 'house envy' or disappointment but more a form of stress relief from our everyday routines, a feeling of self-enhancement - just by imagining ourselves living in such homes - and the ease of which we can look at the curated perfection of online homes, influencing our own choices for our own homes."
