1 in 10 Britons would sacrifice windows for lower house prices

Running water, windows and ceiling lighting feature among the ‘home essentials’ Britons would ditch in a bid to make property prices more affordable, a new poll of would-be homeowners has revealed.

More than a quarter of first-time buyers (27%) are prepared to sacrifice running water, while one in ten (9%) would live without windows in exchange for more affordable property prices, according to a new survey.

The research was carried out by interior design brand, Hillarys.co.uk. The team polled 2,137 Britons, all aged 18 or over.

All respondents were first asked, "Do you believe that house prices are too expensive?” The overwhelming majority, 97%, stated they did. Participants were then asked if they felt they had enough money for a house deposit: 41% revealed they were nowhere near the amount needed; 39% stated they did; and 20% said they were ‘almost there’.

To gauge the extremes Britons would go in order to lower property prices, participants were given a list of common housing features and asked which ones they would lose to make homes more affordable. The top five was revealed as:

1.      A garden – 38%

2.      Double glazing – 34%

3.      Central heating – 33%

4.      Running water – 27%

5.      Indoor plumbing – 19%

The poll also found that 9% would sacrifice natural light – by living in a house without windows – to lower its price.

When all respondents were asked how much they would expect a house’s price to be reduced after sacrificing one feature, the average answer was £15,000.

Tara Hall, spokesperson for Hillarys, said:

“High prices make it hard to step on the property ladder, so it’s no wonder many first-time buyers are willing to sacrifice what others might consider ‘home essentials’ to make buying more affordable.

“But the lengths many would-be homeowners are prepared to go is surprising: sacrificing a garden on your first home is one thing, but windows and running water is quite another!”