Britain's dream home revealed

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities

A typical Brit's dream home is a humble 4.5-bedroom house based in a South West rural village - even if money was no object.

According to research from property website Primelocation.com, the relatively simple dream home would have to have a large garden, multi-car garage and walk-in wardrobes.

The company - which surveyed around 3,500 British homeowners to discover their ideal homes - also found that Victorian and Edwardian homes were favoured over all other property styles.

“Typical British reserve and understatement shines through in selecting of their ideal property. Forget sprawling mansions or flash penthouses, the quintessential English country house with enough room for a family is what the majority of Brits view as their dream home,” said Lawrence Hall of Primelocation.com.

The countryside was found to be far preferred to urban settings.

London might have some of the most expensive property in the world, but only 14 percent of those surveyed said they would choose to live there.

A quarter would prefer life in a rural village and 22 percent would choose a large country town.

Rural coast life appealed to 17 percent of respondents, while 18 percent would take a seaside town.

Only five percent of those surveyed chose a large city or town other than London.

A significant 39 percent of Brits would ideally go for a detached property, while 23 percent specified a country house as their dream home.

Farmhouses and barn conversions (both on 6.8 percent) were the next most popular types of property.

Meanwhile, problem neighbours were identified as the biggest put-off when selecting a home, with 57 percent saying anti-social behaviour would stop them buying a property.

Lawrence Hall said: “London is home to some of the most expensive prime properties in the world. High-spec townhouses, mansions and apartments attract some of the wealthiest buyers from across the globe. But the bright lights of city-life appear less attractive for the majority of Brits who see their ideal home in a rural idyll 200 miles away.”