Nearly half of UK homeowners are secretly researching a move without telling the people they live with

From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026.

Zoopla's survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 44% of homeowners living with another adult have taken at least one property-related action in secret, from browsing listings to checking what their home is worth. Londoners are the worst offenders, with 62% admitting to covert property research. Among those planning to buy within one to three years, 72% have already started searching secretly, with 61% browsing listings and 30% quietly calculating what they can afford.

One in 10 secret browsers has gone as far as viewing a property without telling anyone they live with — and 2% have made an offer in secret.

The sneakiest tactics include turning a phone away, waiting until a partner falls asleep, and deleting browsing history to cover their tracks.

A quarter of serial secret searchers admit to developing a 'property crush' on a specific home, with 19% already saving or shortlisting it.