Everest industry news

25 April 2008

Six in ten Brits harbour hopes of owning their dream home, with an idyllic spot in the country the top choice, a new Legal & General survey reveals.

The Home Sweet Home poll shows that one in five aspire to a character house in the countryside, ahead of a detached home with a garden in suburbia, or a self-designed property.

Villages were cited as the best location for a quarter of those with such ambitions. Last year, just eight per cent of respondents cited villages as the ideal spot for their dream home.

Twenty-two per cent aspire to live by the sea, 16 per cent would aim to settle in the suburbs, while inner-city spots appeals to just nine per cent.

Cornwall, Devon, Surrey, Yorkshire and London each received seven per cent of the votes as the ideal choice for a future dream house.

"The survey would indicate that people are still quite positive about the future housing market given the number of respondents who still wish to live in their dream home," said Garry Skelton, marketing director with Legal & General's general insurance division.

More than a third of the survey's respondents said that the kitchen was usually the room in a house that needed the most improvement.

However, the results also show that almost four in ten Brits have spent less than £1,000 improving their property.

Homeowners looking to upgrade their property are advised to make eco-friendly decisions, by adopting measures that can help cut energy costs, such as installing double glazing.