Rise of the midlife single movers
50–59-year-olds now the fastest growing group in the UK housing market
A new analysis of more than a decade of home mover records from TwentyCI, commissioned by Hillarys, reveals a sharp rise in single midlife movers signalling a demographic shift reshaping the UK property market and mirroring a cultural moment in which many people, particularly women, are embracing midlife independence.
According to the data, the proportion of single owner occupied home movers has increased by15.6% over the last 10 years, while the share of married home movers has fallen by 22.6%. Over the same period, the modal age of movers has shifted dramatically. In 2016 the most common age band for owner occupied movers was 30–39, while today it is 50–59.
The rise is most pronounced among single 50–59-year‑olds, who represent the fastest‑growing segment of the owner‑occupied market, increasing at a significantly higher rate than their married counterparts.
House price data also points to shifts in lifestyle and priorities. Within the 50–59 age group, single homemovers purchase homes averaging £289,600, compared with £427,200 for married couples. This substantial price gap suggests extensive purposeful downsizing, with single movers seeking smaller, more manageable homes that better support the lives they are choosing for themselves.
Why this Is happening – the cultural forces behind the numbers
While the TwentyCI dataset does not record gender, the demographic profile aligns with wider cultural reporting that shows more women in midlife choosing independent living, often following major life transitions such as divorce, children leaving home, or significant career changes.
This shift has become a prominent theme across UK lifestyle, consumer and social affairs reporting, and provides important context for interpreting the rapid growth in single 50–59-year‑old movers. It reflects a broader cultural moment in which midlife independence — particularly among women with equity and financial autonomy is increasingly visible in consumer behaviour, housing choices and interior design decision‑making.
Victoria Robinson, interior trends specialist at Hillarys, said: "The TwentyCI data shows a clear rise in single movers in their 50s and although the dataset doesn't record gender, the trend aligns closely with what we're seeing culturally with more people, particularly women in midlife, choosing to live independently and create homes that reflect who they are now.
"For Hillarys, this is a fascinating shift. Customers in this life stage tend to be confident in their taste, decisive in their choices, and looking for quality and design that feels truly personal. We're increasingly working with people who are designing for themselves alone, sometimes for the first time in years, and that often leads to bolder, more expressive interiors.
"It's a demographic reshaping the market in subtle but powerful ways, and the TwentyCI dataset helps quantify a movement that many of us in interiors have been sensing for some time."
Sarah Able, 59, from Nottingham, is a case in point: "After years of putting everyone else first, my kids, my job, my marriage, this move was the first big decision I made purely for myself. I didn't want a big family house anymore, I wanted somewhere manageable, calm and completely mine.
"People talk about downsizing like it's a step back, but for me it's the opposite. This is a reset. A new chapter. I chose a smaller home because I wanted less to maintain and more freedom to shape a space that feels like me, not the life I used to have.
"There's something incredibly liberating about walking into a home and knowing every corner reflects your taste, your pace and your future. It's independence in the truest sense, and I think a lot of women my age are starting to feel the same."
Susan Corless, Twenty CI, adds: "The surge in single, equity holding movers aged 50 to 59 represents a notable shift in the owner occupied market. This cohort is financially confident, highly active, and increasingly driving demand for smaller, well‑located, low‑maintenance homes.
"While our dataset does not record gender, the pattern aligns closely with wider reporting around midlife women choosing independent living and reshaping their homes around their own needs and priorities. That cultural trend helps explain the strength and momentum we're seeing among single midlife movers.
"Together, these forces are creating a more individualised market, with 50‑plus adults and particularly single homeowners becoming an increasingly influential segment in how the housing landscape evolves."
