That’s according to research from AA Home Membership which also showed that a modern property would be ideal, with a third (31%) saying their dream home would be less than 10 years old.
A home in the countryside was also a popular choice, which almost four out of ten (39%) said they’d like. In contrast, just 6% said their perfect place would be in a city.
The South West was the most desired part of the country to reside where 26% would choose to live. However, the research also revealed that if money were no object, many people would choose to stay in their local area. For example, seven out of ten Scots (69%) say their dream home would be in Scotland and 71% of Welsh respondents would stay in Wales.
But it wasn’t a trend that extended to the whole of the country; more than a third of those (35%) living in the West Midlands would like to live in the South West, while fewer than three out of ten (29%) would choose to stay put.
Similarly, only a fifth (20%) of respondents living in the East Midlands would continue living there while more than a quarter (27%) would also like to move to the South West.
Helen Brooker, head of AA Home Membership said: “This research shows that the British public largely agree about what they want in a dream home – except for the location.
“It’s interesting that, if given the chance to live anywhere, many people would choose to live in the area where they’re from. But other than that, the South West is the most popular location in the UK – it certainly is a lovely part of the world.”
The research shows that while younger people aspire to own substantial properties, older respondents have more modest ambitions. Homeowners aged over 65 are the age group most likely to want a two or three bedroom home – that’s half (52%) of them.
Those who live in the North West are most likely to say that their dream home would not be in the UK (19% compared to 13% overall).
Respondents also had strong feelings about the age of their dream property. Three quarters (73%) of respondents want a house that’s less than 100 years old and the likelihood of wanting a new property increases with age.
