An intriguing piece of research by AA Home Energy Response has uncovered the Nation’s home-owning aspiration. You may think that most of us would like to live in an old rectory or a penthouse apartment, but no: according to this new research the most popular type of property is a three bedroom semi-detached house in a village location. Surprised?

It’s quite obvious that this survey is taken from a broad cross section of society, many of whom live in terraced cities, modern estates or suburban sprawls. Their ideal lifestyle may have rose tints, but it’s nice to know that those of us who reside in villages lead the sort of lives that others crave for and perhaps we just take it for granted.

More information gleaned from the research is that the British are keen to socialise and the most sought after feature of their dream home is a large kitchen/dining/living area where guests can be entertained.

Half the adult population would like views of countryside, mountains or sea and, while men and women are well matched in their most desired panorama, there could be a battle between the sexes over the interior layout of their ideal home; twice as many men as women would include a games room, for instance. Women, on the other hand are more likely to want to keep livestock with chickens coming out as the preferred beast.

It’s stacking up to be a big semi, but they do exist! The inference to this research, however, indicates that most peoples’ aspirations are to be comfortable, in an affordable, rural property with close neighbours and a sense of community.

The research also indicates that in the long run, increased demand could see the price of rural properties rise significantly, since as much as 34 per cent of people want to live in a rural location, yet these areas currently account for only 18 per cent of the housing stock.
The message? If you live in a village and even if you don’t have a large three bedroom semi with views, games room and chickens, just remember that you are probably living somebody’s dream.

When showing people around properties we quite often hear the comment:  ‘If only I could pick up this house and put it in another spot.’

Location is not the be-all and end-all of choosing a house to buy. There are other obvious considerations such as quality and condition, outside space, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, room sizes and layout for instance. For many buyers there is a fine balance between the practicalities of accommodation and the property’s situation. One often can’t have the best of both, however, so a choice has to be made.

A good location can sell a property on its own. Wonderful views, peaceful surroundings and useful amenities will always attract strong interest. In a buoyant market these properties will fly and even in more challenging times they will be resilient to downward pressure. A property on a main road, however, will suffer disproportionately in a poorer market, even if it is, itself, a cracker. This doesn’t mean that it won’t sell, but the price really does have to reflect the situation.

The other thing to bear in mind about location is that you can generally improve a property, but not its surroundings. A house set in a compromised situation will always have that situation (save for regeneration or bypass). A house needing attention, but in a great spot, however, has the potential to be a great house remaining in a great spot. Of course our surroundings are often at risk, but in this part of the world, where Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty dominate and sustainable development is a must, we are pretty protected.
So what is the ideal location? Everyone has different priorities, but looking at our register of eager applicants the following ‘would likes’ come out on top:

Family: Edge of, or close to a village with a pub and preferably a shop, open countryside to the rear, a feeling of space, easy for local schools and good communications.

Retired/Semi-retired:  A village with amenities and a good community or a small town, walkable to shops but away from the traffic.
Equestrian: Rural or village edge with good riding out from the property and close to a wide road with decent access.

It would be nice to think that we could all have our ideal location, but sadly it doesn’t work like that. Availability is what drives the market place and thankfully some of us aren’t that concerned as long as a lot of the practical boxes are ticked.

There are two distinct types of occasional occupiers who own lock-up-and-leave properties, each with specific criteria, but both with similar concerns to address.
One is the escapee from London and the Home-Counties, looking for a more serene and uplifting existence. This particular neck of the woods is attracting ever more interest from such a purchaser and now is not a bad time to buy.

The other is the habitual traveller who needs to have a home that they can be confident of enjoying every time they return to it.
So what makes a good bolthole? Ideal properties are often those with close neighbours and communal grounds such as Wardour Court near Tisbury or The Lattiford Estate near Wincanton. There are, however, a few overriding factors that any seeker of such a property will have to consider:

Convenience – The property has to be conveniently located, not only to reach, but also for the everyday activities, interests and amenities that its owners will want to enjoy. Will they want to jump in a car every weekend or be more content to use the train and walk to their house? Tisbury and Castle Cary are ideal locations for the latter choice with their mainline stations and boutique shops, while for those opting to drive, a location within striking distance of the A303 is valuable. A good local Inn is a requirement for many people, as are nearby leisure facilities and shops.

Security – So important if the property is going to be empty for long periods of time. Ideally it should have close neighbours or a community who can keep an eye on it and a very good security system. A property on its own, in the middle of nowhere is courting trouble. Insurance should also be carefully considered and many insurers will have specific demands.

Maintenance – The property should ideally be up together and if it is a period house it should have an ongoing maintenance routine to keep it in top shape. It is amazing how a small lapse in upkeep can cause major problems down the line. There is a balance to be had between period charm and modern practicality and these need to be weighed carefully before commitment. The garden will also be an issue and should be regularly maintained so that every visit need not be taken up with sheer hard work.

Communication – Occasional occupiers may not feel the need to pay for a landline rental which means that a good mobile reception is normally essential. There are pockets which are renowned for their poor reception, but this needn’t be a deal breaker as signal boosters are efficient and not too expensive.

If you are an occasional occupier and need some help there are specific managers of second homes around who can provide piece of mind in the majority of cases. Services include routine visits, maintenance, gardening, cleaning, fridge filling and more. Alternatively a simple empty property management service can cover the essentials, ensuring that the time that you do spend in your bolthole is valuable and stress free.

Many times over the years we have shown properties where potential buyers have been deterred because there is no room for particular items of furniture.

If you have inherited any furniture or furnishings, then you will know what I am talking about; possession, pride, love, guilt and duty all unite to form a resolute determination to hang on to Granny’s bookcase at all costs, even if you don’t particularly like it.
Last month a client related the story of her maiden Great Aunt who, nearing her end, invited family into her house to divide among them the furnishings that she would be leaving behind. Following a few hours of tactful diplomacy and the odd envious glance at each others’ choices the great nieces and nephews came away with car boots stuffed to the gills. My client recently visited such a cousin who had the walls of his not-so-large sitting room stacked with Georgian secretaries, tallboys and chests. They didn’t fit with the style of his 1980’s suburban house, they were splitting because of the pumped up central heating and you could barely move for the bank of brown furniture. When she asked him why he had taken so many pieces, his response was that nobody else had room for them.
A couple of years ago a viewer of a decent sized farmhouse in Dorset seemed to love all about it, but hesitated as we chatted on the drive after the viewing. He was concerned, it seemed, that the landing and stairwell walls wouldn’t take his collection of six foot canvasses, mostly oil portraits that had been passed down to him and his siblings. He didn’t buy it in the end and as far as I know he is still looking.

We also sold a house recently where a substantial oak dresser took pride of place in a relatively small dining room. Inherited from three generations down, the piece, although lovely, took up half the room, meaning that one side of the dining table could hardly be sat at. The owners had been meaning to sell it on but couldn’t bring themselves to do it and this made me wonder whether prior generations had felt the same.

It can be a foreboding step to part with inherited furniture that stirs sentimental memories. It is so important, however, to create space when selling on a house and large pieces of furniture in small rooms simply don’t help. By the same token, house buying, whether downsizing or changing style, should be an adaptable experience and if the house is almost perfect, but for the lack of space for that inherited linen press, then you just have to weigh up what is most important to your lifestyle. After all, it’s you who has to live it.

Beyond the baked bread, fresh coffee and gentle Mozart drifting in the background, there is a myriad of emotional, practical and sensitive issues that need to be tackled if you are to sell your house successfully. And here are just some of them:

Take advice from your estate agent

The best Agents are there to help, acting in the best interests of their clients rather than concentrating on their balance sheets, and you should accept the advice that they give you. Any business is as good as its reputation and referrals would soon dry up if an Agent kept getting it wrong, so trust what you are told and be prepared to act upon it.

Iron out property problems early on

You should know your property well enough to know where any problems lie, so share these with your Agent before you begin marketing, after all, everybody suffers if a last minute glitch emerges causing the collapse of a deal.  Areas to mention include restrictive covenants, rights of way, structural issues, boundary disputes and building regulations. Early knowledge and the chance to put things right will save heartache later on.

Step back emotionally

This is often easier said than done, especially if your home has years of happy memories, or you take great pride in what you have created there. Wherever your emotions lie, you have to detach yourself and treat the sale as that of a commodity. One man’s meat is another man’s gravy and a buyer may look at your property from a completely different perspective. I’ve often heard clients say that they want to sell their house to a family they like. Sadly, we don’t have that luxury anymore, so as long as the buyer can complete a purchase at an acceptable level, then that is the person to sell to.

Let the Agent do the Viewings

Agents are very good at showing people around houses because they are salespeople . Not in the sense of the hard sell, but more in knowing which buttons to press and when. Viewers also need to relax and take their time and it is very difficult to do so if the owner is there and the feeling is one of intrusion, so take the dog for a walk or pop to the shops. Try also to always insist that the negotiator dealing with your house is the one to show it, rather than viewing staff. They know it best and can talk turkey if it comes down to on-the-spot negotiations.

Accept market conditions

The property boom is over and we are in a fragile market. If you want to sell your house and move on you have to accept the economic conditions and position the marketing of your property accordingly. Buyers are buying and will continue to buy, but they are reluctant to pay what they consider to be over the odds. Take your Agent’s advice, find the right buyer at the right price for the prevailing conditions and move on. You will be able to negotiate just as hard on a purchase, and if you rent and wait for the right house to come up, you could be quids in.