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Northern Homeowners Most Family Focused
NORTHERN homes are hubs of
family and socialising a new study has revealed, with ½ of Northerners living
less than 10 miles from their 1st childhood home. Commissioned by
Origin, manufacturer of bespoke aluminium bi-folding doors, residential doors
and windows, the study found that when it comes to what makes a happy home,
residents of the North prioritise community, family, and sociable living areas,
over privacy and storage space.
In fact, residents of the North focus more on family than any other region, with
56% saying they would prefer their children to live in the same town. A further
56% said the same about their mother, whilst 15% said they wanted to live in the
same area as their grandparents.
Similarly, when moving to their ideal home, Northerners are most likely to want
close friends living in their area, and neighbours they can rely on. More than
two thirds say they'd like 2 or more close friends living on their street,
whilst Northern homeowners would want to be on 1st name terms with five
neighbours, on average, and able to rely on 4 at a moment's notice, the highest
in the country.
Those living in the North are the second most likely region in the country to
prioritise socialising when planning their ideal home. These homeowners want the
second largest increase in space for socialising when comparing their current
home to their ideal home.
Northern residents also favour rooms that provide a social or family function.
They are least keen on a study, pantry or cloakroom, but most likely to want a
dining room, big living room, hot tub or sauna, along with a laundry room, and
somewhere to hang the washing. They are also the second most likely to want a
football pitch.
Interestingly the study also revealed that Northerners prioritised security
above any other region, with over 45% claiming security is a key factor for
their ideal home.
Ben Brocklesby, Director at Origin, said:- "Following the opening of our
Warrington show room last year, we wanted to find out more about our customers,
and try to understand what they look for in a home.
Our findings support the popular view of the friendly Northerner: generally
preferring to live nearer family, looking to forge relationships with a greater
number of their neighbours, and appreciating strong community bonds. What is
most interesting to us, is that this is reflected in their homes, and how they
choose and use their home. We saw a greater emphasis on large communal rooms and
settings, and less desire for rooms that are enjoyed by only a few. For us
at Origin, irrespective of size or wealth, homes are extremely personal spaces:
a place that offers privacy, or, somewhere built with family and friends in
mind. Whatever your vision, we have some great practical advice on our website
from our experts, to get Northern homeowners one step closer to creating their
forever home."
Sociable activities are high on the list of what makes a happy home; playing
board games together was mentioned by over 25%, cooking with the children was
mentioned by over 35%, and laughing a lot was suggested by more than ½ of
homeowners in the North.
Wider community is also important, with the ideal average distance from certain
amenities, notably the pub (0.97) miles, school (2.02) miles, and corner shop
(0.58) miles, all the loWest for any region.
Despite spending more time with their immediate family than any other region, at
2:21pm, per week, 25% of Northerners still think their work/home life is
unbalanced. Many blame their work, with more than 60% of these people saying
they work too much, the highest of any region.
When it comes to moving to their forever home, more than 8 out of 10 of those
living in the North say they are happy in their current home, and nearly 50% are
optimistic enough to believe they will own their forever home one day. To afford
their forever home, Northerners were most likely to buy a cheap house and do it
up, or, apart from Londoners, were the most likely to sacrifice nights out. None
said they'd put off having kids.
To find out more, visit:-
Origin-Global.Com.
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