Allied Pickfords' Move Monitor reveals Australia is The Top Property Hotspot

More people than ever before are moving abroad from the UK according to Allied Pickfords' annual Move Monitor. The cosmopolitan buzz of Sydney and the picturesque beauty of the Queensland coastline are certainly ticking the right boxes for Brits as Australia is the number one relocation destination for the second year running – just under a third of all Brits moving overseas are heading down under, a 14.5% increase from last year.

Tracking over 19,000 home moves, the research is the largest of it's kind and has pinpointed the latest overseas moving trends. Not only is Australia the number one choice for moving Brits but the monitor has also revealed that Perth is the most popular international city destination, with more people migrating there than any other city within the UK or abroad. Sydney came a close second with Melbourne ranking third.

New Zealand is ranked as the second most popular relocation destination, up by 11.5% from last year, with the United States a close third place. Canada is in fourth place achieving six per cent of all overseas movers.

Spokesperson Lyndsey Daykin says, “Once again, the Move Monitor has revealed that English speaking countries are most popular destinations – although I am sure the quality of life, sunnier climate and diverse job opportunities play a part in the relocation decision!”

“The monitor revealed that whilst Australia remains the firm relocation favourite, Allied Pickfords relocated people further a field than ever before. This year we moved twice as many people to Bulgaria as last year, and almost as many people to United Arab Emirates as to France, which shows just how the international property market is changing. Organising relocations to 104 countries around the world, from Argentina to Zambia, the Move Monitor reveals that people are prepared to consider all parts of the globe as their home.“

Top relocation destinations: (% of total 6160 moves) 1. Australia - 31% 2. New Zealand – 11% 3. USA – 11% 4. Canada – 6% 5. South Africa – 5% 6. Spain – 4% 7. France – 3.5% 8. United Arab Emirates – 3% 9. Channel Islands – 3% 10. Cyprus – 2 % Top Ten International Moving Destinations by City: 1. Perth, Australia 2. Sydney, Australia 3. Melbourne, Australia 4. Auckland, New Zealand 5. Brisbane, Australia 6. Adelaide, Australia 7. Dubai, United Arab Emirates 8. Wellington, New Zealand 9. Christchurch, New Zealand 10. Cape Town, South Africa Quirky facts: • Moves to Malaysia have more than doubled since last year • Twice as many people moved to Cape Town than moved to Carlisle • Allied Pickfords moved more people to Bermuda than to Barnes and Bridgend • Dubai has experienced a massive 31% increase in people relocating there due to the booming property market • Most exotic relocations included moves to Canary Islands (44) Kenya (9) Mexico (5) Jamaica (3) Egypt (7) Ghana, Fiji & Argentina (1)

Allied Pickfords provides a range of services and support for individuals and families relocating overseas. This includes advice from a personal move consultant who can advise on all aspects of the move from advising what to take and what to leave behind, to shipping and customs regulations. Contact Allied Pickfords on 0800 289 229 for more information about moving overseas.

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Notes to Editors:

About Allied Pickfords

Allied Pickfords, part of the Allied network, is the international division of Pickfords and with 800 offices in 43 countries, Pickfords is part of the largest global moving company in the world. Pickfords employs 1,800 people in the UK, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of SIRVA Inc. About SIRVA, Inc. SIRVA, Inc. is a leader in providing relocation solutions to a well-established and diverse customer base around the world. The company is the leading global provider that can handle all aspects of relocations end-to-end within its own network, including home purchase and home sale services, household goods moving, mortgage services and insurance. SIRVA conducts more than 365,000 relocations per year, transferring corporate and government employees and moving individual consumers. The company operates in more than 40 countries with approximately 7,000 employees and an extensive network of agents and other service providers. SIRVA's well-recognized brands include Allied, northAmerican, Global, and SIRVA Relocation in North America; Pickfords, Huet International, Kungsholms, ADAM, Majortrans, Allied Arthur Pierre, Rettenmayer, and Allied Varekamp in Europe; and Allied Pickfords in the Asia Pacific region. More information about SIRVA can be found on the company's Web site at www.sirva.com. Media Contacts:

For further media information please contact:

Sara Bailey or Helen Mitchem

Pickfords Press Office: icasPR

Tel: 020 7632 2400

Email: pickfords@icas.co.uk