What do buyers actually want these days?

It’s said that an Englishman’s home is his castle, but what exactly do we want from our castles these days?

Not as much as you might expect it would seem… and that’s possibly just as well, because with property prices shooting skywards, most people’s budgets just won’t stretch to a turret and a moat.

In a recent survey by Zoopla asking people to describe their ideal family home, it turns out that UK home buyers are favouring practical new builds, well connected to transport links and amenities, with just enough space for today’s modern family life, over and above a sprawling mansion.

The top requirements include:

• 44% wanted a modern home, whilst only 8% favoured a Victorian style period property
• 2.1 bathrooms and 3.5 bedrooms are the magic numbers (although most buyers would probably be happy to round up or down!)
• 51% had a detached property on their wish list, with 43% hoping for a small, south-facing grass lawn
• 34% want to be within a 30-minute commute to work, with 17% wanting to be within a mile of a town centre, suggesting that lifestyle is as important as the property itself

We do want to stay in the UK though – only 10% would more to the sunny south of France if money and responsibilities were no object – tres bon!