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%) are looking for a detached property, with a similar proportion (52.4%) wanting three bedrooms. In fact, three-quarters (74.3%) 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% of those surveyed not prepared to settle for just one. Two bathrooms is the most popular preference, with 56.2% 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%), and off-street parking (53.1%).
However, despite being a desirable feature, homeowners were also most likely to compromise on property layout.
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%), and property layout (21.2%).
The five biggest turn-offs for a purchaser would be no garden (35.3%) or driveway (14.0%), an old heating system (10.9%), need for modernisation (10.0%), and stairs in the living room (9.4%).
Martin Richardson, Leeds Building Society’s General Manager – Business Development, said:
“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."
Richard Sexton, Director of Business Development for e.surv, added:
“These findings reflect our own as a national survey provider.
“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.”
