What do you look for when finding your new home?

Published by Best Value Conveyancing on March 14, 2025March 14, 2025

You’re on the look-out for a home of your own.

Notwithstanding all the other aspects of sorting out getting from where you are now to moving in – seeking and getting a suitable mortgage, working out your finances, organising the move… and so on. 

And on! – there so many considerations that will be important to anyone looking to buy a new home.

Now, AA Home Insurance have published the findings of a poll (carried out by polling company Yonder on their behalf taking into account the responses from 661 AA members), which looks at the key features that they are looking for when thinking about purchasing their new place.

How do the top ten results fit in with your own specific requirements?

The poll results:

1. A garden (43%) – outside space has become a significant requirement since the days of the pandemic when enforced lockdowns meant limited mobility outside the home. Those with gardens had much more opportunity to be outside than those without.
2.  Off-street parking (38%) – there are an increasing number of cars on the road. Gone are the days when there was only the one vehicle per household, especially as offspring are now tending to live with their parents for longer. This is coupled with the demands of finances requiring both adult homeowners to earn money, which means that both might need a car for work reasons and commuting. Add in work vehicles, such as vans, and the road quickly becomes overloaded with vehicles fighting for the increasingly limited spaces.
3. Proximity to local amenities (29%) – The converse of argument for off-street parking (and perhaps because of the reasons behind wanting to park off-road) is the need for local amenities, such as train stations, shopping, parks, etc. that are within walking distance of the property. There is also the growing concern for the environment that plays into the need for less use of carbon-based fuel vehicles coupled with the desire to increase exercise for ongoing health reasons.
4. A garage (26%) – Many smaller new-builds nowadays don’t come with a garage because of the recent choice to park cars on driveways or in the road, that decision itself driven by the greater resilience of modern vehicle engineering against cold starts and other environmental impacts on its use. As with off-street parking, in addition to the growing number of car thefts, the desire is to protect this expensive purchase by locking it in a garage. As a side note, crime statistics will be available for any area in which you wish to buy from the police or local authority. Besides, the space can be used as an extra storage unit, doubling the space of a garden shed and more!
5. Larger living space (18%) – One of the effects from the Covid pandemic and its series of lockdowns was the need for more space for all the people living in a home to have their own area, so that they can perform different activities without encroaching on others, and, most crucially, to be able to work from home without interruption. As a result of this, plus the desire to upgrade to bigger places anyway, more living space is now a significant requirement.
6. Public transport connections (18%) – The dual effect of more people wanting to use public transport to get around to do their part in protecting the environment and the need for commuting for work means that transport connections remain an important part of the decision to move home.
7. Cheaper than what is paid now (16%) – Naturally, no-one wants to pay over the odds for something and neither do they want to pay any more than they really have to. Ideally, they want to be paying less than they currently do and moving might help them achieve that goal.
8. Property with character (14%) – The problem with many houses built today is that they are often bland and colourless, all looking the same. So, while moving into such a property might achieve some of the requirements further up this list, there is also often the desire to have a more characterful property, too. Unfortunately, there may have to be a trade-off and compromise made, which might explain its relative position in the list.
9. En suite bathrooms (14%) – More frequently, having a bathroom that’s personal to the resident(s) of a bedroom is increasingly desired, often with a “family bathroom” also available elsewhere in the property.
10. More bedrooms than now (14%) – As with the requirement for more living space, there is also an increased desire for more bedrooms, particularly in the case where children are currently sharing. 

More bedrooms and space will cater for a growing family and perhaps the ability to put friends and family up more easily for visits.

Gus Park, managing director for AA Insurance Services, said of the findings: 

“The search for the perfect home is exciting, and it’s no surprise to discover that having a garden is the most desired aspect homeowners are looking for this year.

“Be it the hope of hosting parties in the back garden or creating a ‘mini-Wembley’ so the kids can have a kickabout, having a green space of our own still tops the charts when it comes to buying a house.

“As well as being an exciting time, moving home can also be one of the most stressful moments of our lives. 

“Our free Homebuyers Checklist helps take some of the worry away and ensures that every aspect of the home is given the once over before making an offer.”