People want rural living with neighbours close by

And as well as wanting a home attached to their next-door neighbours, the British appear keen to have their friends round. The most sought-after feature of this dream home is a large open plan kitchen/diner and living area, perfect for entertaining.

The study, carried out as part of AA Home Emergency Response’s research series entitled AA State of the Nation’s Homes, found that 18 per cent of adults aspire to own a semi-detached house with two to three bedrooms, the most popular type of property.

The most desired location is a rural village, which is top of the list for 28 per cent of people.

Half the adult population (49 per cent) would like views of moun-tains or country-side, marginally more than would like to see the sea from their windows (48 per cent). 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 dream home.

Twice as many men as women (37 per cent v 18 per cent) would include a games room in their ultimate home, and 50 per cent more men than women (26 per cent v 17 per cent) want their own cinema at home.

The view that females are the more nurturing sex is borne out by the fact that 29 per cent of women want their dream home to have grounds for livestock, such as a chicken run, compared with 22 per cent of men.

The research also indicates that in the long run, increased demand could see the price of rural properties rise significantly 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.

Tom Stringer, head of AA Home Emergency Response, said: “We are used to drivers dreaming about owning cars most of us are never likely to afford, such as a Ferrari.

“However, when it comes to houses, the research shows that we are much more realistic and that for many of us, our dream home is likely to be within our reach.”