Brits favour homes in the country

15/03/13

By Daniel Machin

The quintessential English country house with enough room for a family is the dream home for the majority of Brits, according to new research.

A study by property website Primelocation.com revealed that even if money were no object, most people would want no more than a "modest" four or five bedrooms.

The South West was voted as the most desirable region to live, with 30 per cent of the 3,500 home owners surveyed listing it as their ideal location.

Honey-hued Cotswold villages, the dramatic coastlines of Devon and Cornwall and the Georgian terraces sweeping through the World Heritage Site of Bath are some of the main attractions pulling people to the region.

The findings show that most people would shun the bright lights of the city, instead preferring a base in the countryside.

Half of the people polled aspire to live in a rural village or a country town and around a fifth choosing a seaside town as the perfect place to live.

Just one in seven, meanwhile, would live in London, despite house prices holding up relatively strongly in the city.

Victorian and Edwardian homes are seen as the most desirable properties while the ideal home for the majority of people would be detached, boasting a multi-car garage and walk-in wardrobes.

Commenting on the findings, Lawrence Hall, spokesman for Primelocation.com, said: "Typical British reserve and understatement shines through in selecting of their ideal property.

"A quiet rural retreat is preferred to city life and with numerous chocolate-box villages spread across the South West it's little wonder the majority of Brits would position their ideal home there."

The research also identified problem neighbours as the biggest turn-off for people looking for their ideal property.

Some 57 per cent of respondents said that anti-social neighbours would put them off buying a home, while 28 per cent claimed an unkempt garden would make a home less desirable in their eyes.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Budapest has best value for Brits

26/03/13

By Daniel Machin

Britons looking to get the most from their holiday spending should head to Budapest.

According to a table of 25 cities compiled by Post Office Travel Money, the Hungarian capital offered the best value for money.

Tourists wanting to purchase a total of 12 typical city break items, including meals and accommodation, would pay just £134.76 in Budapest.

In comparison, holidaymakers in Stockholm in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark would have to fork out £420.36 and £440.45 for the same items - making them the most expensive cities in Europe.

Vilnius in Lithuania, Warsaw in Poland and Riga in Latvia are other good value destinations where Brits can get more bang for their buck, with the range of items costing £140.99, £151.69 and £155.34 respectively.

But with the pound falling against most currencies in recent weeks, prices for British holidaymakers have risen year-on-year in 22 of the 25 cities in the table.

Stockholm has witnessed the biggest rise in costs, up by 33 per cent, followed by Riga, up 30.7 per cent, Boston in the USA, up 28.4 per cent, and Vienna in Austria, up 26.3 per cent.

The three exceptions were Berlin, where prices were down 1.5 per cent, Prague in Czech Republic, down 6.8 per cent, and Lisbon in Portugal, down 19.1 per cent

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said that rising prices, combined with the falling value of sterling, is making it more important than ever to check the cost of key items before booking.

Paying for things like meals, drinks and sightseeing soon adds up - hitting costs that most city break tourists cannot avoid.

"There are big price variations across Europe - not just in the eurozone," he declared. "This means UK holidaymakers can make their pounds stretch further by choosing a cheaper capital like Lisbon or Budapest."

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.