More than a quarter (28%) of UK homeowners still consider the main property they grew up in as ‘home,’ according to new research.

The latest Britain at Home report from Lloyds Bank Insurance reveals fewer than half (41%) of homeowners feel their current property lives up to their expectations. Of those who feel less attached, the top reasons were that it wasn’t a ‘dream home’ (43%), a family home (29%) or in their desired area (26%).

“Our first or main childhood home plays an integral role in the development of our personal identities,” explained Professor Barrie Gunter, author of Psychology of the Home. “These initial childhood experiences can become deeply imprinted into our psyche, and if they were happy ones, we often seek to recreate them as adults when we move into our own property. However, modern pressures can occasionally get in the way.”

Today’s homes have adapted to accommodate changing family dynamics, work and life patterns, with almost a third (31%) of homeowners saying that working from home is more common in their household today than when they were youngsters. The report showed over a quarter (28%) now have a home office whereas they did not in their main childhood home, compared to just 7% who had one in their childhood home but not in their current home.

Fading traditional features which homeowners used to have in their childhood home but don’t today include the pantry (48%) and the cellar (13%), as homes become more open-plan and multi-purpose.

Over a quarter (28%) say their home is used more for entertaining people now, and a fifth (20%) say that the media – including TV property programmes and magazines – has had more influence on their properties today, as DIY becomes a greater priority. Two fifths (41%) claim they spend more time on home improvement than their parents did.

Contact Us

To make an online enquiry about our conveyancing and estate agency services, please click here or call us on 0141 775 0005.