Strutt & Parker’s latest Housing Futures survey has revealed the nation’s top ten property wish list. By collating answers from 2,000 respondents from across the UK, the results give a refreshing insight into the housing desires of the population with some surprise findings.

Heading the Top Ten property wish list is a detached farmhouse cottage with at least three bedrooms in a rural setting

George Burnand, Head of Strutt & Parker’s Winchester office, comments on the findings: “The survey results from our Research team paint an interesting picture – the quintessential British farmhouse surrounded by quiet countryside clearly remains an enduring ideal for many. However, our buyers now ask specifically about internet and phone reception, in line with the trend for working remotely, so it doesn’t surprise me that this featured high on the wish list.”

Stephanie McMahon, Head of Research at Strutt & Parker, adds: “Over the past decade, there has been a focus on urban resurgence, so we were interested to discover that while our respondents want to live near other people, they didn’t want them on their doorstep.

“Lifestyle change remained the dominant motivation for moving, but in light of pension challenges and parents seeking to help their children onto the housing ladder, we were surprised to see that so few respondents ranked release of equity, pension top up and financial support for relatives as their reasons for moving home.

“It seems that we really are a nation of optimists – it certainly was encouraging to discover that 79.4% of respondents believe they can achieve their dream home within the next five years.”

Rural areas, villages and market towns came out as the most desired living environments but walking distance to the shops was crucial to almost half of people.

For the second year in a row, lifestyle change was the biggest motivation for moving with a new category for the survey - broadband connectivity, which has shot in as the third motivation and highlights the desire to be technologically connected.

The survey didn’t just focus on where respondents were planning to move to – it also looked at what homebuyers were looking for in a new home in terms of style, features and accessories.

For the respondents who intended to move, a remarkable one in five said they wanted an Aga in their new home, which concurs with the most popular interior design style, being ‘traditional British’ followed by ‘rustic’. The majority of homebuyers wanted their new home to feel ‘cosy’ in terms of ambience, whilst ‘calm’ and ‘bright’ also scored highly.

Outside, the majority of respondents wanted a small private garden – and when it came to the dream outdoor item for a new home, one in five respondents chose a walled garden. Insulation and glazing featured as the most important environment requirements.

The survey sample of 2,000 respondents is a combination of Strutt & Parker registered buyers, sellers, tenants and lettings applicants from the past three years, and a balanced general UK population sample conducted by OnePoll. The respondents came from across the UK with a balanced gender split.

To download the full report, ‘Housing Futures: Key trends shaping the residential market’, please visit: www.struttandparker.com/housingfutures