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The average adult would be willing to pay more than £335,000 for their 'forever home', a study has found.
The poll of 2,000 homeowners found the first step onto the property ladder is with a two-bedroom semi-detached home.
But this will then eventually be upgraded to a three-bedroom house which they intend to live in for the rest of their lives.
For those currently in what they describe as their forever home, they spent an average of almost 10 years saving up to get the cash together to buy it.
And while two in five believe a house becomes a forever home based on the amount of memories made there, 53 per cent think it's all down to it being in the perfect location.
Angela Bowden, home insurance specialist for Swinton Insurance, which commissioned the study, said: “Everyone has dreams of what their ‘forever home’ could look like or include.
“As we get older our families change, and our requirements in a home fluctuate – we need enough space for all of our kids to grow, but once they make their own way that space could be wasted.
“This is what makes our property journeys so interesting, from our first tentative steps in property ownership, to finally owning the home we have always dreamed of.”
The study found the average homeowner believes they will have owned three properties by the time they reach the age of 65.
Although around one in 10 reckon they will work their way through at least four other properties before settling down.
This is after getting their foot on the property ladder at the age of 28, in a home worth an average of £132,563.
One in six first-time buyers in the UK bought a flat or apartment, while 35 per cent moved into a semi-detached house.
And after moving into their first place, Brits stay an average of five years in it before moving to the next property.
But the study, carried out via OnePoll.com, found a third of adults had difficulty taking their first step onto the property ladder, with the majority struggling to make enough money.
One in 10 watched sadly as a house they really liked ended up selling for a higher price than they could afford.
As a result, two in five believe it’s harder for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder now than it was 20 years ago.
Angela Bowden added: “Our home is probably the most important purchase we will ever make.
“Interestingly, our survey found that 43 per cent of under-45s prioritise sorting out their wifi access over sorting their home security and insuring their contents when they move into a new home.
“The home is the hub of our daily lives, so making sure that it’s safe, comfortable and insured should be top of the list for any homeowner.”
Swinton Insurance have developed a quiz to help homeowners discover where they should settle in their 'forever home'.
To take the quiz visit: www.swinton.co.uk/home-insurance/guides/no-place-like-home/
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