What most Britons agree is the ultimate dream home is a three-bed, two-bathroom detached period property, new survey from Leeds Building Society has found.
Regardless of what kind of property they live in now, people were unanimous in the key features they aspire to in the home of their dreams.
Almost half of those surveyed (48.5 per cent) are looking for a detached property, with a similar proportion (52.4 per cent) wanting three bedrooms. In fact, three-quarters (74.3 per cent) wanted three bedrooms as a minimum.
More than three-quarters are tired of fighting with loved ones over access to the bathroom, with 76.2 per cent of those surveyed not prepared to settle for just one. Two bathrooms is the most popular preference, with 56.2 per cent choosing this option as their top priority.
The top five features in a dream property were:
- Location (72.9%)
- Property size (68.5%)
- Garden and outside space (61.7%)
- Property layout (56.2%)
- Off-street parking (53.1%)
By contrast, the five features buyers were most prepared to compromise on were:
- Good interor decoration (28.7%)
- Period features (23.6%)
- New kitchen and bathroom (21.5%)
- Woodburner or fireplace (21.5%)
- Property layout (21.2%)
While the five biggest turn-offs for a purchaser would be:
- No garden (35.3%)
- No driveway (14.0%)
- Old heating system (10.9%)
- Need for modernisation (10.0%)
- Stairs in the living room (9.4%)
“We were founded 140 years ago by people who understood how, by working together, they could realise their property owning aspirations,” said Martin Richardson, Leeds Building Society’s General Manager – Business Development.
“This aim – which goes hand in hand with our other core purpose to offer savers a secure home for their money so they can plan for their futures – remains the same to this day.
“When home ownership appears to be a national obsession – and there’s a mind-boggling choice in types of properties to purchase – it’s perhaps surprising that our survey discovered so many people share the same view of what makes their dream home.”
“These findings reflect our own as a national survey provider,” said Richard Sexton, Director of Business Development for e.surv.
“It’s perhaps no surprise that the key selling points of a property are those that can’t fundamentally be changed – after all it’s relatively easy to redecorate, but impossible to move a building from one location to another. The findings reflect the fact that househunters are generally aware of the difference between these categories and take a long-term view on changeable factors to ensure they get their preference on the fundamentals.”
