Nearly two million more single households (1) will emerge by the end of the next decade, driven by young adults’ increasing desire to live alone.
Analysis commissioned by Lloyds TSB Insurance reveals that the number of single households almost doubled between 1971 and 2001 (2). This growth stalled during the noughties, partly due to rising house prices, but is likely to recover over the next decade as homes become more affordable for young professionals.
The study, conducted by economic and social researchers FDS International, reveals that a growing pool of under-35s want to live alone (3), driven by a need for greater individual freedom and personal space (4). This desire will fuel a forecasted rate of more than 100,000 new sole occupants a year until 2019, with significant consequences for home security, burglary rates and family cohesion.
Melissa Porter is the presenter of “Get a life” on BBC 2, a show which helps British families start a brand new life abroad. She is a broadcaster and businesswoman and has successfully branched out into property and property writing.
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Until now the majority of single-dwellers were either young males or elderly widows, but the landscape will change dramatically over the decade for several reasons.
As women’s incomes increase and female single living becomes a social norm, the rate of growth in single occupancy among young women will reach twice that of young men (20 per cent versus 10 per cent (5)).
And as the gap in life expectancy of men and women narrows, fewer old people will have to live on their own and those that do will not do so for as long. Rising divorce and separation rates are also likely to have a significant impact on single occupancy patterns (6).
The study analysed central and local government data to reveal Britain’s current and emerging single-living hotspots (7).
The current top twenty contains twelve London boroughs, led by the City of London and Westminster where more than half of homes have just one resident. By 2019, it is predicted that two in every three homes in the City will be single dwellings (8).
However, the top twenty fastest growing locations between 1991 - 2009 were all outside the capital. Some, such as Corby and North Cornwall, have been boosted by an exodus of retirees, but other commuter-belt locations such as Basingstoke, Basildon and Stevenage are attracting high numbers of younger adults.
This trend is set to continue, as more metropolitan locations outside London enter the overall list by 2019. Emerging districts likely to see in influx of young singletons by 2019 include Blackpool, Southend-on-Sea and Southampton.
The emerging trend for single living has significant implications for home security. Analysis of the latest figures from the British Crime Survey suggests that single occupancy homes are nearly fifty per cent more likely to be burgled than those with more than one resident (9). Single occupant claims are also higher than average, at around £1,683 (10).
The increased security risk is due in part to the fact that single-dwellings tend to be in urban areas, where crime is higher. Evidence suggests that single-dwellings are left unoccupied for longer periods – an average of eight days more than family homes (11).
Commenting on the report, Lloyds TSB Insurance spokesperson Phil Loney said:
“As the country’s leading home insurer, it’s important for us to conduct research into future trends in home ownership as this gives us a better understanding of emerging home safety issues
“This report gives us a fascinating insight into social change in Britain and reveals that the shape of households is changing in a way that would have amazed previous generations.
“At Lloyds TSB Insurance we want to help single people to be safe and secure in their homes. Those living on their own will be helped by the home security advice available at www.insurance.lloydstsb.com.”
Research was commissioned by Lloyds TSB Insurance plc and conducted by FDS Research between in December 2008 - January 2009
The research programme combined original research from a nationally representative survey of 800 single-dwellers, conducted by PureProfile, using an online sample between January 18th and 26th 2009, with data from the FDS 3000ft trends base, including analysis of several existing large-scale government and private datasets: time-diary studies, the Census, the British Household Panel Study, the Expenditure and Food Survey, the General Household Survey, and the British Crime Survey.
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