Seven in 10 home movers end up buying a new property situated 20 miles away or less from where they had lived previously, research suggests.

Conveyancing services provider My Home Move looked at where more than 26,000 of its clients across England and Wales had moved to between 2011-2015. Some 70% had chosen a new home a distance of 20 miles or less from their old postcode.

Even among those who did move further afield, most still opted to stay within 75 miles of their former home, by moving over the border into the next region.

Home movers from London were most likely to head elsewhere with only 57% staying in the capital. Others favoured the countryside and sea views of the South West, choosing to settle in places like Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Movers in the North East were the most likely to stay within their region, with 90% remaining put.

My Home Move found that people moving out of London made up the biggest majority of movers switching from one region to another among those buying homes in the South East, the East of England and the Home Counties - as well as the South West.

Doug Crawford, chief executive of My Home Move said: "It would seem that we really are a nation of homebodies preferring to move no further than 20 miles from our old postcodes.

"The last five years have presented some real challenges for home movers, with rising house prices, gazumping on the increase and a lack of stock leaving many questioning if now is the right time to move so we are not surprised people feel more confident in buying in places they know well."

By Vicky Shaw, Press Association.