Gimme shelter: The homes people prefer
FORGET mansions and stately homes – a modern, three-bedroom family house is Manchester’s preferred home, according to research released this week.
The survey by British Gas revealed that most people would choose a three-bedroom, detached home with a garden over a larger, more lavish property as their ideal home.
Only a quarter of Manchester residents want a swimming pool apparently, while more than 50 per cent said off-road parking was what mattered most.
Households would choose a games room over a granny flat, with around a fifth of people wanting somewhere to play games.
A home office is also a popular choice, with a third of people saying they would choose to have one in their ideal home.
When asked what word they think of first when describing their home, more than one in four said ‘family.’
The other most popular answers were ‘safety,’ ‘security’ and ‘comfort.’
The research was carried out as part of the Great Home Debate, with Shelter and British Gas joining forces to shape new standards for homes in the 21st century.
Bryan Halliday, head of corporate citizenship at British Gas, said: “Working with Shelter, the Great Home Debate will enable us to understand how we can help more people across the country to have a safe, warm and comfortable place to call home, and will help to shape the housing standards of the future.”
The survey asked at what moment a house becomes a home; a fifth of respondents said it was when they got the keys, while 16pc said it took a little longer, only feeling at home once all the boxes were unpacked.
Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “Everyone deserves the chance to have a place to call home, where they can build a life for themselves and their families. But our evergrowing housing crisis means more and more people are seeing this simple dream spiral out of reach.
“Shelter has been the champion of homes for 50 years and together with the public, we want to create change for future generations. So take part in the Great Home Debate and tell us what home really means to you, and we will fight to make this the reality for every home in Britain.”
Anyone can join the Great Home Debate by visiting www. greathomedebate.org. uk and sharing their thoughts on the meaning of ‘home’ in Britain today.