UK public views on the future of home in 2021

Ipsos are working with Nationwide Building Society to explore the future of UK society post-pandemic through the perspectives of our working lives, homes, financial well-being and communities. Following a successful report on the future of work, the second instalment of the series is the ‘The Future of Home’ which has now been published.

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of the way people in the UK live and new research carried out by Ipsos finds that the home is a space which now carries much more importance to us than before. While overall views that the UK faces a housing crisis have fallen somewhat recently (from 74% in 2019 to 63% now), there remains a great deal of pessimism among renters. Four in ten private renters (42%) say their experience of the pandemic has made home ownership more important to them compared with pre-pandemic, yet at the same time 68% say they doubt they will ever be able to afford a home of their own.

The report combines new research with the insights gained from many industry experts who participated in round table discussions focussed on the housing ‘trilemma’ of affordability, availability and sustainability. Our data unveiled shifting needs and priorities of the individual in these categories, and highlights discrepancies between region, generation, and housing tenure. 

It also explores the home’s role in the climate crisis, in particular the disjoint between public interest in decarbonising homes and lower levels of concern about the role houses play in climate change. It also highlights some of the key behavioural barriers to action for the UK public.

• Read the full report here: Nationwide Building Society: The future of home

Ethnographies

Ipsos UU also completed ethnographies to get detailed views on different experiences of the UK housing market. These can be viewed below.

Technical Note

Ipsos conducted online interviews with 2,985 people aged 16-75 living in the UK between 18 and 21 June 2021 using the Ipsos online panels. This included boosts for people living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Data have been weighted to the known profile of the UK population