- New research from NatWest and Rightmove shows finding the right home, a better property or more space are the happiest moments of moving for around 95% of buyers, but there are ‘ups and downs’
- 85% admitted they find moving home stressful, largely due to uncertainty
- NatWest and Rightmove are working together to provide instant digital mortgage decisions in principle and for those eligible, an offer within 24 hours
- The research shows joined up communication and faster digital decisions help bring more joy to the home‑buying journey
New research* from NatWest and Rightmove shows that the emotional payoff of buying the right home can outweigh the pressures of the process - despite some challenges along the way.
The findings from NatWest and the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove show the ‘ups and downs’ relating to one of life’s most exciting – but stressful – key moments. By working together, NatWest and Rightmove are aiming to bring more joy and less stress to the home‑buying process at the key affordability stage of a move.
Nearly half of movers (48%) questioned say finding the right home is the most joyful moment of the journey, closely followed by getting more space or a better property (47%). Moments such as having an offer accepted (35%) or picking up the keys for the new property (34%) also stand out as defining milestones.
However, 85% of people admitted that they find moving home stressful, with pressure driven less by the moving itself and more by uncertainty during the process. Nearly 1 in 5 (16%) found it extremely stressful, whilst only 1 in 10 didn’t find it stressful at all.
Helping to reduce uncertainty and bring greater momentum to the home buying journey, NatWest is providing home buyers with an instant fully digital NatWest mortgage decision in principle when they apply via Rightmove. Customers can then complete their full mortgage application online, with eligible buyers receiving an offer within 24 hours – bringing clarity and momentum at a critical stage of the process.
The most common source of stress when moving home was cited as poor communication between different parties (51%), closely followed by finding the right property (47%), and the logistics of moving day (44%).
The research also found that more than a third (38%) find being part of a property chain adds further strain, whilst one in five (20%) struggle with understanding the true costs involved. This increases to 35% for younger movers aged between 18-34, highlighting how financial uncertainty can amplify anxiety during the homebuying journey.
Rightmove data shows the average time it takes to move home is now between 7-8 months. Conveyancing alone is taking 164 days (5.5 months) on average, rising to 181 days (6 months) in London and the East of England. It is clear that greater certainty and clearer communication at key stages could make a meaningful difference to the length of time it takes.
Looking ahead, movers say better coordination between professionals (58%), a quicker conveyancing process (51%), and clearer timelines at each stage (44%) are ways that would help reduce pain points in the home buying journey.
Barry Connolly, Managing Director of Home Buying and Ownership at NatWest said: “We’re always looking at ways to make home ownership more accessible and to reduce stress in what can be one of life’s biggest decisions. That’s why we focus on offering innovative mortgage solutions – from our Family Backed Mortgage to Shared Ownership products, alongside a simpler more transparent application process. Helping people feel clearer about their options, more confident about affordability, and better supported at every step.
“More than half of respondents said they would sacrifice lower costs for a faster, more transparent journey – a clear signal that certainty and momentum are just as important to people as affordability. When people have the right information and support in place, they can begin to look beyond the process itself and focus on the long‑term benefits of finding the right place to call home.”
Matt Smith, Mortgage Expert at Rightmove, said: For many people, the most stressful part of moving home isn’t the decision to move, it’s the uncertainty that comes with it, particularly around affordability. That’s why greater clarity earlier in the journey can make such a difference.
“Being able to understand your borrowing position quickly, clearly and digitally gives buyers confidence to move forward and keeps momentum going at a critical stage of the process. By working closely with NatWest to offer instant decisions in principle and faster mortgage offers for eligible buyers, we’re helping to remove some of the guesswork from home‑buying.
“But it’s about more than affordability alone. We want to build simple, digital solutions that increase transparency, simplify the home-moving process and put people firmly back in control of the moving journey, giving them the confidence to believe they can make their move.”
Despite the challenges and stressful moments, the overall emotional outcomes remain largely positive. More than eight in ten people (84%) say they would still consider moving again, reflecting the strength of the positive emotional reward once a move is complete.
Once settled, 61% of people say having more space or a better home has contributed most to their wellbeing, while 41% highlight improved access to nature.
Home-movers can apply for an instant fully digital NatWest mortgage decision in principle on Rightmove now at: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/mortgages
Notes to Editors
*Survey of 1,092 homeowners and renters aged 18+. Conducted by Rightmove between 31 March and 12 April 2026.
**Rightmove data, April 2026.
Media Contacts
Chelsea Konadu
Media Relations Consultant, Retail
chelsea.konadu@natwest.com
07483560540
Victoria Whittal-williams
Media Relations Manager, Retail
victoria.whittal-williams@natwest.com
07484966728
About NatWest
NatWest Group is a vital and trusted partner to over 20 million customers across its Retail Banking, Private Banking & Wealth Management, and Commercial & Institutional businesses.
NatWest has grown to become the 3rd largest mortgage provider in the UK. The bank is committed to innovating within the digital mortgage space and currently leads the market with the largest flow of digital new business. In recent years, the bank has invested significantly in improving its digital customer experience – with enhanced live chat features, seamless connection to expert colleague support and faster mortgage decisions.
NatWest recently launched two new propositions to help more first time buyers own their own homes. The Family Backed Mortgage enables first time buyers to add a second person to their mortgage while retaining independent ownership. NatWest’s Shared Ownership Mortgage means first time buyers can borrow to buy a share of their home, which they can add to over time, whilst paying rent on the proportion they don’t own.
In November, NatWest confirmed a commitment to lend £10bn to first-time buyers during 2026.
About Rightmove
Rightmove’s vision is to give everyone the belief they can make their move, by being the best place to turn and return to for the tools, insight and expertise that make it possible, a vision delivered through long‑term investment in technology and innovation.
Rightmove is the UK’s largest property platform, with the biggest selection of homes for sale and to rent and adding more listings than anyone else.
Latest view from Comscore is over 80% of all time spent on property portals is on Rightmove, and latest view from SimilarWeb is over 70% of time spent on property portals in the UK is on Rightmove (two datasets used across the industry to track time spent on portals).
Innovation has shaped Rightmove’s evolution, from digitising property search in its early years, to expanding tools that support affordability, decision‑making and confidence across the entire home‑moving journey.
In recent years, innovation has significantly accelerated, with investment shifting beyond property search to the wider home-moving journey for consumers and partners. This includes mortgage and affordability tools, digital valuation products such as Online Agent Valuation, consumer features like Shared Lists and a suite of property renovation tools.
Rightmove continues to invest in transforming how people search for property, including evolving the search experience, launching AI‑powered conversational property search and experimenting with new discovery platforms, including launching a Rightmove app within ChatGPT.
Rightmove provides a continually evolving suite of tools to help partners run and grow their businesses, including access to the UK’s largest and most engaged home‑moving audience, high‑quality enquiries, data‑led valuation and insight tools, and effective marketing products.
Rightmove supports professional development through the Rightmove Hub, offering official training and industry certification, including the Certificate for Estate and Letting Agents, at no additional cost to an agent membership.
Rightmove partners include estate and letting agents, new homes developers, rental and build‑to‑rent operators, commercial property specialists, overseas agents, financial services providers and home services businesses.
For consumers, Rightmove offers a wide range of free, continuously evolving tools to help people move home, from access to the UK’s largest choice of homes and extensive listing information, to affordability tools, valuation services and local market insights.
Using the UK’s largest housing datasets, Rightmove issues a number of regular reports to track housing market indicators: our monthly House Price Index (established 2002), quarterly Rental Trends Tracker (established 2015), weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker (established 2023) and quarterly Commercial Insights Tracker (established 2024). Historical data is available on request.
Founded in 2000, Rightmove listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and is a member of the FTSE 100 index.
