Where would you live if money was no object?

The south west of England has been voted as most people's dream location. Do you agree?

If money were no object many of us would be living in the south west of England, a new survey from property website Primelocation has found.

Nearly a third (30%) of the 3,500 people questioned chose the south west as their prime housing location. Surprisingly just 14% of people would choose to live in London.

Instead of choosing an inner-city penthouse or a mansion resembling Downton Abbey, most people opted for a four or five bedroom detached house in a rural village – despite having the option of an unlimited budget.

The house would be either Victorian or Edwardian and would also have a large garden, multi-car garage and walk-in wardrobes.

Escape to the country

We’re big fans of the country and a quarter of us would choose to live in a rural village while 22% would opt for a large country town.

Living in a seaside town is also a preferred option with 18% choosing this and 17% wanting a rural house on the coast.

The second most popular location to live in was the south east, which a quarter of people chose as their prime location.

Cities were not in favour with only 5% choosing to live in one outside of London.

The north east was voted the worst area to live in.

“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,” said Lawrence Hall of Primelocation.

“Forget sprawling mansions or flash penthouses, the quintessential English country house with enough room for a family is what the majority of Brits view as their dream home,” he added.

What we look for in a house

Over a third of people said they would prefer a detached property as their dream home. Interestingly, the third most popular type of home was a farmhouse or barn conversion.

Two thirds of us see a garden as a major feature in a home and nearly half would want a garage with room for several cars, while 47% would choose a walk-in wardrobe.

Noisy neighbours are the number one reason someone wouldn’t move into a property.

What's your prime location?

Although the south west was chosen as the top property spot in this survey, I think if money were no object, I’d probably pick a place a little further afield.

So what we would like to know is where in the world you would choose to live – if money was no object? Given the dire weather we’ve experienced in the UK over the past few years, I’d much prefer a chalet in the south of France, a house in Thailand or possibly a mansion situated on my own island in the Bahamas. However, getting into work in London every day could be a problem.

These surveys obviously need to be taken with a pinch, or often a bucket, of salt but what this one shows is the unwillingness of most people in the UK’s major cities, such as Leeds, Birmingham, London and Manchester, to actually live there, if given a choice.  

This underlines the situation many people in the UK find themselves in – being tied down to a location because of their jobs and the extortionate costs of commuting from somewhere else.

Do you agree with the results? Is the south west of England the best place to live in the UK or would you choose somewhere else? Let us know in the Comments section below.

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