Two of Britain’s hottest movie stars Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz play husband and wife in the just-released ghost story
Dream House.
The family relocate from New York City for the rural pleasures of New England. This film saw real-life romance blossom for the actors, who by the time the film wrapped, were already making plans for a life together.
In at least one respect, Hollywood A-listers are the same as the rest of us. A rural retreat is most people’s dream home according to findings of a new study of 2,000 homeowners.
Despite fantasising about a four-bed house in the country, the majority of Brits would like to have close access to an A-road but less than two miles away from important amenities such as the school, supermarket, newsagents and doctor's surgery.
Next rung
The reality in W4 is somewhat different says Christian Harper of London estate agent
OliverFinn: "The average person’s dream home is simply a step above their current property, regardless of whether they’re in a one-bedroom flat in
Strand-on-the-Green or a five-bedroom house in Chiswick
Riverside. Everyone’s dream is to get on the next rung in the property ladder.”
This usually coincides with joining a new company, trying to start a family, moving closer to good schools or investing a nest-egg in property rather than the stock market. Location is key, as is having friends and relatives close by, and having good relationships with neighbours.
Three in five Brits would love to live in a house where they didn't have to close the curtains to achieve a bit of privacy. However in London this is outweighed by the desire for good transport links says Harper: “Bizarrely, buyers and tenants want to be near an underground station even if they don’t use it for work. People just don’t want to be more than a ten-minute-walk from the tube.
Fantasy league
When it comes to the house itself, in addition to four bedrooms, most people would be happy with two bathrooms and two en-suites.
The perfect dream home would have a study and utility room, a dining room for entertaining, as well as a kitchen breakfast room for daily use. Other desirable rooms include two for the children - such as a playroom and a den - a lounge and a conservatory.
The dream home, according to the poll, isn't actually that unrealistic. The
survey conducted by GoCompare, shows that one in ten people are already living in their dream home. A further quarter of Brits are actively saving towards their ideal house, however the remainder don't think they will ever achieve the fantasy.
