South Eastern homes are sold every 16.1 years and London homes every 16.9 years. In comparison they are sold in 21.9 and 21.1 years in the North East and North West.
Doug Crawford, chief executive of My Home Move, said: “The stronger job market and higher incomes in the South mean that people buy and sell homes more often than in the North.
“Interestingly, it’s not just the South East that has a relatively healthy number of homes changing hands: the West Country is also thriving.
“Regional towns like Exeter, Bath and Bristol have vibrant housing markets and the region as a whole also benefits from people moving there from other parts of England for a slice of the ‘good life’.”
The amount of time between house sales has fallen by 24% over the last five years from once every 25 years to every 19.
Times have changed in Yorkshire and Humberside in particular, as the time between sales fell from 28 years to 19 over the period.
Crawford added: “It is reassuring to see that homes are changing hands much more often than they were five years ago.
“This has been a period of economic growth and the house market has been improving hand-in-hand with the economy. The combination of low inflation, reduced unemployment and improving wages means that people feel confident in their prospects and are more enthusiastic about moving to a new home.
“At the same time, improving mortgage availability and low interest costs have made it easier for consumers to finance a home purchase.
“With interest rates set to stay low for longer, according to the latest Bank of England predictions, the next 12 months could see a further improvement in the housing market across the country.”
