At a time of unprecedented growth in the number of single occupancy households; and over 18,000 civil partnerships having taken place last year, mortgage specialist, Birmingham Midshires has explored opinions of what being average means in Britain today as part of its Not So Average Joe campaign, which champions the needs of people with non-traditional lifestyles.
More like Slaters than Stepford Wives
Of those polled, 63 per cent said that the description of average did not apply to them and 60 per cent said they prefer to stand out from the crowd than to conform. Extended families living under one roof and single parents, as epitomised by The Slaters in EastEnders, are more likely to exist that the 2.4 set-up of the traditional family unit.
Wales is home to the most individuals, with 67 per cent of people claiming not to be average, whereas Yorkshire is the average centre of the UK, with 39 per cent of people in the region putting themselves in the mainstream.
Freak or Unique?
When people who do not conform to the norm were asked how they felt about being individuals, they described themselves as happy to be different, proud of their individuality and empowered. Meanwhile, those who describe themselves as average say their normal status makes them feel accepted, safe and included.
Birmingham Midshires then asked the two groups to describe their perception of people that fall into the opposite category to themselves. Those who class themselves as individuals have a negative perception of their average counterparts, describing them as unimaginative, safe and not very brave , while just three per cent thought average people were lucky to fit in.
Conversely, many people who think of themselves as average have a positive opinion of people who are individuals and may even envy them. Although one in two say individuals are attention seekers, they are also described as go-getters and brave.
Tim Hague, managing director of mortgages at Birmingham Midshires said: Many mainstream mortgage providers still work on the model of having married applicants with 2.4 children but, as our research shows, the majority of people are no longer average. Not everyone is the same, and therefore no one mortgage deal is right for everyone. We would urge people whether they believe themselves to be average or unique – to seek the advice of a regulated mortgage intermediary to ensure they get a mortgage deal that is right for them.
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