The 'seven year itch' is usually associated with relationships, but recent research from property website Zoopla.co.uk reveals that it applies equally to the way that we feel about our homes.

On average, British homeowners develop a wandering eye and start looking around at other properties on the market after seven years and four months in their current home.

According to the research, the urge to break up with a home and move on to the next property relationship is largely driven by women who instigate three out of five (60%) moves in the property market.

Women are also revealed as twice as likely as men to develop property envy, suffering from the green-eyed monster when encountering friends with fancier homes according to the survey of 3,808 homeowners.

Just as with personal relationships, the end of the 'homey-moon' period - when people start wondering what else might be out there in the property market - comes at around the seven year point. And demonstrating other parallels between personal and property relationships, the 'property itch' is driven by boredom with the same home, a growing irritation with little things and the awareness of more attractive alternatives on the market.

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On a regional level, homeowners in the South West have the most stable property relationships and only develop the urge to look around after eight years on average, compared to those in Wales where the wandering eye sets in much sooner at six years and three months. Londoners fall squarely into the 'seven year itch' category, getting the urge to start looking around for new homes at seven years and two months.

And whilst a homeowner's age has a lot to do with how they view their property relationship, it seems that 'first love' remains just as much a factor in the property market as in life, with those aged 25-34 saying they are happiest in their current home but also likely to get the itch sooner than others, at four years and five months. By contrast, those aged 55+ are likely, on average, to get the urge to call an estate agent after nine years and four months in their current home.

Commenting on the research, Nick Leeming of Zoopla.co.uk said: "We all see new relationships as exciting and when it comes to property there are clear similarities with the seven year itch experienced in personal relationships. Property websites have made looking at what else is out there easier than ever and no doubt there are many supposedly happy homeowners secretly taking a quiet peak whilst their partner is none the wiser."

(GK)