No monsters under the bed, please

New research reveals what kids and parents really feel about their home, with UK's biggest loves and loathes

• New data from Barclays Mortgages reveals that Brits are true home birds, with 83 per cent happy in their current home – yet a fickle 45 per cent would still consider moving

• The UK’s top love – coming in the top 2 for both children and their parents – was youngsters having their own room, topping living close to family and friends and even fast Wi-Fi

• When it came to the negative, families were on the same page as children loathe nothing more than having a house that’s bad for sleepovers, and parents having no spare rooms for family  

Top loves reveal practical parents and safety conscious kids

The findings reveal the most popular reasons for why people love their home, with practical parents prioritising children having their own rooms (49 per cent) and outdoor space (44 per cent) over fond memories (20 per cent) and proximity to family (31 per cent). Similarly, when it came to connections, a quarter prioritised speedy Wi-Fi (25 per cent) over living close to friends (23 per cent).

When asking children why they loved their home, the most common reason was that they felt safe (66 per cent), with a third choosing a strong Wi-Fi connection and one in five (20 per cent) the lack of household monsters.

The Barclays Mortgages research also looked into what would make a child’s dream home – unsurprisingly, they were much less practical than their parents, with a swimming pool, a games room and a cinema room being rated as the most popular features.

Top loathes show common ground between families

Parents and children had some common ground when it came to their biggest property loathes, with both hating any limitations on having their friends to stay. Having no spare rooms for family members was the most common reason for parents (1 in 5) disliking their property, with a house not being good for sleepovers as the ultimate childhood faux-pas (14 per cent).

Over one in ten children hate having to travel far to school, with parents keen to avoid spending money as high council tax (18 per cent) and the need for renovations (15 per cent) both scored in their top three loathes.

Interestingly, there were some quirky differences of opinion across the country. One in four Liverpudlians (25 per cent) like their home because it is near a great takeaway (compared to the national average of 16 per cent), while almost one in five (19 per cent) parents in Sheffield said they like their home because of the local watering hole, compared to an average of 12 per cent nationally. Meanwhile in Bristol, 13 per cent said they dislike their home because of bad water pressure in the shower, compared to a national average of 8 per cent.

The move vs. improve decision

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that homeowners and their children will often have a love/hate relationship with their homes. Before making the big decision to up stick and leave, it’s important for parents to weigh up the pros and cons of moving home vs. remortgaging and staying put.
  

Hannah Bernard, Head of Mortgages at Barclays, commented: “It’s well known that us Brits invest a huge amount of energy and money in our family homes, so it’s no surprise that we’re a nation of true home birds.

“Whether you love your property and are staying put or are looking to up sticks and move, we understand the different factors that go into this difficult decision and want to help families stay in control of their finances as they plan for a change in their home – whether it’s a big move, a remortgage or home improvements.”

TV personality and property expert, Lucy Alexander, has partnered with Barclays Mortgages to share her top tips on how parents can make the best of their current home, for when moving or upgrading simply isn’t an option.

Lucy Alexander, TV presenter and property expert, commented: “We all have different views on what makes a good home, and one person’s dream home could be another’s idea of hell!

“It’s no surprise that children dream of a slide instead of stairs and I think we all secretly want a games room, but I’m amazed to see that so many supposedly happy homeowners would still consider moving. The grass is clearly greener and many of us are always looking for something more from our homes – whether it’s a bigger kitchen, a shorter commute or simply more outside space.”

For further information on Barclays mortgages or improving your home visit www.barclays.co.uk/mortgages or https://www.barclays.co.uk/moments/improving-your-home/

House hunters can download the Barclays Homeowner app to find a dream home, calculate borrowing and for direct access to estate agents and mortgage specialists.

Research conducted by Censuswide amongst 2,000 homeowners with children under the age of 18 and 1,002 children between the ages of 8-16.