Shire Desire – Countryside Aspirations

Whether you have the available funds, have fingers crossed for that elusive lottery win or are working hard to achieve your property goals, you’ve most likely referred to some form of survey or review to glean information about your dream home.

Country living comes top of many people’s aspirations and a survey by Savills Research identified that during the previous five years or so a farmhouse purchase was top of the list. More than four hundred people outside of London who were considering a move indicated that for them, a farmhouse easily outranked any other type of house.

From the results it would seem that many are feeling positive about this area of the market and also the potential renovations involved, with 82% of forty-something couples more likely to spend money on a house and keen to take on work.

Interestingly the survey also found that over half of couples in their sixties were thinking about buying a new property, looking for modern finishes and easily available technology, whereas for younger people the idea of an older property with a great outlook, bags of character and potential to make a house very much their own had greater appeal.

Of those polled 27% of buyers desired a farmhouse,  12% believed that a farmhouse would provide growth over the next five years and  54% thought a farmhouse has the most potential to add value.

The author of the survey, Sophie Chick, believes that one reason farmhouses top the list is because “they offer better value and more space with lots of potential to use the outbuildings as offices or holiday lets.” 

In addition, the number one property attribute when it came to buying was the view, followed by the number of bedrooms and then privacy. The data also found favour for the farmhouse in that 50% of those surveyed would rather live in the countryside than in a more urban environment and of those who already lived in the country, 68% wanted to stay there.

It is easy to see why a farmhouse could be a desirable type of home to live in; with characterful history, stunning scenery for miles around and the potential for renovation with the multitude of barns and stables that often come included. All these things make the farmhouse a hugely desirable option for those looking to move and settle down in the countryside.