THE IDEAL ‘forever home’ for West Midlands residents is a four-bedroom, detached house in the country, worth £461,695 – and just down the road from mum.
A detailed study also found they hanker after a property with a driveway, a play room – and somewhere to hang the washing.
Other must-haves include a large kitchen and breakfast room, an ample lounge, utility room and dining room.
A double garage and conservatory are also essential, as is a study and cloakroom.
Ideally, people want to live in a location just 9.7 miles from the office, and good transport links and a pub within a mile and a half are also vital elements.
While an ambitious four out of ten even went as far as to suggest their ‘forever home’ would include a swimming pool and sauna.
The detail emerged from a study of 2,000 homeowners carried out by door and window manufacturer Origin.
Origin director Ben Brocklesby said: “We wanted to find out more about the concept of the forever home and whether it still existed. Years ago it was not unusual for people to live in the same house for their entire lives, but we’ve certainly seen a shift in this trend as we now live in an average of seven homes throughout our lifetimes.
“Interestingly, more than three quarters of people in the region still believe in the concept of a forever home, which shows that the clear majority of homeowners are constantly climbing the property ladder, striving to find a home to live in for the rest of their lives.
“We carried out the research to find out exactly what people want from their forever homes, and if any of the features on their wish list could be added to their existing properties. Among the most sought after elements were a power shower, big windows, a bath and bi-fold or sliding doors.”
Two bathrooms, two en-suites and two reception rooms are also key components.
On a national scale, over half of people chose the sea as the perfect view from their windows, followed by a countryside view of either rolling hills or a field of cows. Britain’s least chosen view from the home was a football stadium.
Plenty of natural light was also a must-have for homeowners, with 99 per cent of people saying it was important.
And a 1,000sq ft garden is the ideal size, according to most Brits.
With regard to amenities, a forever home would have everything needed within a three mile radius. The Post Office, corner shop, newsagents and off-licence were considered the most important to have close by.
While a third of people are actively putting savings aside for their forever home, a third already reside in theirs.
The age at which people believe they will own their forever home emerged as 53, and four out of ten were convinced they would, at some point, purchase their dream pad.
Eighty-four per cent of UK adults were happy with their current home and around eight in ten think it was likely they would try to improve or renovate the house they own now.
