A new study has revealed that 15.4 million homes in the UK prefer the comfort of a personal touch to the company of loved ones.
The research, commissioned by regulated property buyers Good Move, has found that households put a garden (52%), a cosy spot (49%) and owning your own home (49%) before children and pets.
Pets were ranked the second least important part of making a house a home, with only 35% of homes considering it to be a substantial factor. Closely followed by children who came in third at 40%.
Results show that it doesn’t matter whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, it is how you transform the house you live in with trinkets such as framed photographs and ornaments that make it valuable.
When it comes down to the homeowner and renter split, both parties agreed that a personal touch is one of the most important factors of making a house a home.
Ross Counsell, MRICS (Chartered Surveyor), from Good Move said; “People quite often minimise a personal touch when trying to sell a property in fear of it reducing interest.
“However, having a homely feel can really encourage people to want to purchase a property as it is easier to imagine it being a home.”
To explore what elements UK households feel make their house a home, Good Move created “What Makes a House a Home?“, an interactive piece which looks at eight of the most considered homely elements.
The elements include (in order of importance):
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Personal touches (57%)
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A garden (52%)
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A cosy spot (49%)
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Owning your own home (49%)
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Memories you create (48%)
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Children (40%)
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Pets (35%)
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A fireplace (19%)
What makes your house a home?
The survey was commissioned by TLF and surveyed 1,004 people from the UK.
The number of homes in the UK was taken from the Office for National Statistics.
Good Move are regulated property buyers who provide a reliable, honest and friendly service. With experienced professionals in the property industry for over 45 years, the company deals in fast house sales handled by qualified surveying professionals.