If you walk down almost any Fife road or street, you will see the quiet signs of life playing out behind the front doors. Families growing. Kids leaving home. Kitchens are being refitted for the second or third time. Yet somewhere in that rhythm, every homeowner starts to feel it again … the gentle itch to move.

Nationally, that cycle is longer than most people think. Across the UK, there are around 28.5 million households, of which roughly 17.7 million are owner-occupied. On the surface, we’re a nation of stay-put homeowners. Around 83,300 properties sell each month, suggesting the typical homeowner moves only once every 16 years or so. It sounds calm, stable, and predictable.

But Fife doesn’t always follow the national beat. Beneath that surface of stability, the numbers tell a far more restless story.

How long do we really stay in our Fife homes?

Over the past few months, I’ve been studying property data for Fife, tracing how long local owners had lived in their homes before deciding to sell. The pattern is fascinating.

Fife home movers move on average every 13 years and 39 weeks, yet let us break that down.

1. The 25% quickest movers

The fastest 25% of Fife homeowners move every 2 years and 36 weeks on average. This group tends to include those who have to move unexpectedly or those who buy, improve, and sell on. They see the home as a project or a short-term stop, not a final destination. Their activity injects movement and opportunity into the local market.

2. The next 25% quickest movers

This group moves every 6 years and 46 weeks on average. They usually treat their home as a stepping stone to the next one, upgrading as families grow or as jobs and ambitions change. These movers are often in the thick of life, balancing careers, schools, and the dream of “the next one up.”

3. The next 25%

These Fife homeowners move roughly every 15 years and 20 weeks. They are often in their 40s or early 50s, settled in work and family life, but beginning to think ahead to their next chapter. Some start to plan for downsizing, others look for a change in lifestyle or location. They are not constant movers, but when the time feels right, they make a thoughtful next step.

4. The 25% slowest movers

Finally, the slowest 25% of Fife homeowners only move every 30 years on average. They are the long-timers, often mortgage-free and deeply rooted in their homes and communities. Many have lived in the same place for 30 or even 40 years. They’ve seen the carpets fade, the neighbours change, and their children grow up there. Most have no pressing reason to move, but health, family, or the pull of the coast can still persuade even the most settled to take one last step.

My overall thoughts on this are that it is, looking at the statistics, almost a two or three-tier property market in Fife. There are the quick movers (i.e. the average length of time Fife homeowners in the fastest 50% of movers had only been in their home on average 4 years and 30 weeks), and then a second smaller group who move after a few decades. Let us dive into that.

Age changes everything

Across the UK, homeowners in their late fifties and sixties become dramatically less mobile. Those with mortgages move on average every 9 to 10 years, while those who’ve paid theirs off tend to stay for over 23 years.

It’s easy to see why. A mortgage creates structure, a timeline, and an eventual finish line. Without it, the urgency fades. The house becomes a base rather than a lever. Yet that can also create an unseen challenge for the market: homes that could help younger buyers move up the ladder often sit still because there’s no compelling reason for their older owners to sell.

In a nutshell, smaller first-time and second-time buyer homes in the area often change hands every four to six years, while the larger family homes have been in the same families for decades. That blend is what gives the Fife market its unique, layered texture.

The cost of staying (and the price of moving)

Of course, sentiment isn’t the only reason people stay or go. Costs matter, and in 2025, they matter more than ever.

The average cost of moving home in Britain now sits somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000, once you include fees, stamp duty, removals, and redecorating. That figure alone can keep many homeowners sitting tight. Add in the uncertainty of mortgage rates, and the decision to “wait another year” becomes entirely understandable.

Yet the irony is that waiting can often cost more than moving. A home that no longer fits can quietly chip away at the quality of life. Commutes lengthen. Energy bills rise. Maintenance stacks up. It’s rarely the headline numbers that push people to move; it’s the daily friction.

That’s why the true motivators are emotional, not financial. The birth of a child. A new school catchment. A parent who needs care. A job that no longer fits the old routine.

For every spreadsheet of costs and yields, there’s a conversation over dinner that starts with the exact seven words: “Do you think it’s time we moved?”

Fife’s quiet churn

Look at the transaction data, and Fife has a healthy rate of movement compared with many similar nearby areas. It’s not frantic, but it’s steady. That’s important, because property markets aren’t just about prices. They’re about mobility. The flow of people through the system. When that flow stops, opportunity freezes. Fife’s strength has always been its balance. Enough stability to keep prices sensible. Enough churn to keep opportunity alive.

Why it matters now

Because behind every house move is a life event, and behind every home move there’s a rhythm that reflects the area’s wider health. When Fife homeowners move a little faster, it often signals optimism; people feel confident enough to make changes. When they stay longer, it can signal uncertainty, affordability pressures, or even a shortage of suitable next-step homes (especially bungalows for the older generation).

In 2025, Fife’s numbers suggest a cautious but active market. The ‘itch to move’ has not gone away; it’s simply more considered. Homeowners are thinking harder before they act, weighing up lifestyle, family, and long-term financial stability.

But the itch is still there.

Homeownership isn’t static. It’s a cycle, one that reflects not just economics, but human nature. We put down roots, but we also crave renewal.

If you’re a Fife homeowner wondering whether your current home still fits the life you want, you’re not alone. The data shows most of us reach that point every decade or so.

These are my thoughts. What are yours?