Top Reasons People Move

With new home construction still slow, integrators have turned to retrofit customers. One of the biggest motivators for bringing in an integrator is when a family moves to a new home. These movers are prime targets for integrators for security systems, home networks and even A/V.

That's why it's interesting to see new research that sheds light on exactly why people move and where they are moving.

It turns out that most of the 40 million Americans who move every year do so simply because they want a different home. According to Inman News, research from John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. and United Van Lines shows that housing-related issues are by far the main reason people move. In order, the top reasons people move are:

• Want a new or better home/apartment
• Want to own a home vs. rent
• Want a better neighborhood/less crime
• Want cheaper housing
• "Other" housing-related issues such as need more space, or are downsizing.

Specifically, 40 percent of all moves occur because of the simple need/desire for a different home. That percentage has slid drastically (from almost 60 percent in 2004) since the recession, as fewer people moved due to the loss in home equity. The percentage of people wishing to buy vs. rent is also lower. Before the recession, that was the No. 1 motivation for moving, but no longer. Also, 10 percent of people move because they want a cheaper home. That figure has risen in recent years due to the financial strain on many families.

Changing jobs or family-related causes like a divorce or wanting to be closer to grandkids or an elderly parent are all secondary reasons compared to housing-related moves. Other reasons such as moving to finish college, seeking a change of climate, health reasons, and even natural disasters follow on the list.

From a regional perspective, the Northeast has overtaken the Great Lakes as the prime area people want to leave. At the state level, the top states people move away from are Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine.

Washington D.C., North Carolina, Florida, Oregon and Nevada are the top states people move to.

At the city level, the article says Penske Truck Rentals shows the most one-way rentals to Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Sarasota, Charlotte, Denver, Seattle, and Chicago.

Overall, the many of the main reasons people (such as wanting a bigger home and wanting to avoid crime in particular) move make them prime targets for integrators.

United Van Lines isn't the only mover with surveys. Penske Truck Rental data mined its moving data and found the top 10 one-way truck rental destinations included seven southern-tier cities: Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Sarasota and Charlotte; two Western cities: Denver and Seattle; and one Midwest locale: Chicago.

As with the appearance of Florida and Nevada in the United Van Lines survey, a strong group of recession-busted cities turn up on the Penske report -- Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando and Sarasota -- once again proving that cheap home prices in a sunny location is a very strong allure.

OK, we now know where people are leaving and where they are going, so that leaves the big question: Why is everyone moving about, hither and yon?

"Homebuilders want to maximize profits when selling a home or designing a community," Porter said. "When you see an increasing share of buyers say they are moving for affordability reasons, a builder should take that into consideration."