WHILE we all have our dream home desires it seems the forever home for us here in the East is a detached house in the country worth £447,000… and just down the road from our mum.
The study, carried out by Origin, also found we hanker after a property with a driveway, a play room – and somewhere to hang the washing.
Other must-haves include a large kitchen and breakfast room, an ample lounge, utility room and dining room.
A double garage and conservatory are also essential, as is a study and cloakroom. Ideally, we want to live in a location just 7.9 miles from the office.
Good transport links and a pub within a mile and a half are also vital elements.
While an ambitious one in three even went as far as to suggest their ‘forever home’ would include a swimming pool and sauna.
Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin, said: “We wanted to find out more about the concept of the forever home and whether it still existed. Years ago it was not unusual for people to live in the same house for their entire lives, but we’ve certainly seen a shift in this trend as we now live in an average of seven homes throughout our lifetimes.
A view of a field of cows is apparently very important
“Interestingly, almost three quarters of people in the region still believe in the concept of a forever home, which shows that the clear majority of homeowners are constantly climbing the property ladder, striving to find a home to live in for the rest of their lives.
“We carried out the research to find out exactly what people want from their forever homes, and if any of the features on their wish list could be added to their existing properties. Among the most sought after elements were a power shower, big windows, a bath and bi-fold or sliding doors – all of which can be incorporated into any home, without the need to move.”
Two bathrooms, two en-suites and two reception rooms are also key components.
On a national scale, more than half of people chose the sea as the perfect view from their windows, followed by a countryside view of either rolling hills or a field of cows. Britain’s least chosen view from the home was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a football stadium.
Plenty of natural light was also a must-have for homeowners, with 99 per cent of people saying it was important. Over half said they wanted big windows, while bi-folding or sliding doors that lead out to the garden were also high on the list of features.
While a third of people are actively putting savings aside for their forever home, a third already reside in theirs.
The age at which we believe we’ll own our forever home emerged as 53, and four out of ten were convinced they would, at some point, purchase their dream pad.
Eighty-four per cent of UK adults are happy with their current home and around eight in ten think it’s likely they will try to improve or renovate the house they own now.
The ideal forever home among Brits:
- Is worth £458,000.
- Is 10.5 miles from work and has transport links.
- Has four friendly neighbours - (on first name terms).
Has the following rooms:
- Playroom
- Two reception rooms
- Two en-suites
- Two bathrooms
- Four bedrooms
And has the following features:
- Front and back gardens
- Driveway
- Off-street parking
- Patio
- Double garage
- Flowerbeds
- Summer house
- Somewhere to hang the washing out
- Gates at the front
- Veg patch
- Open fields
- Garden 1000sqft
- View of sea view, rolling hills or field of cows
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