The most wanted home
The most wanted home in the UK is Kirrin Cottage from the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton, according to a nationwide survey carried out by Origin.
The fictional property, which is home to George and her family in the series of much-loved children’s books, was chosen as the perfect home by over a quarter of Brits.
The cottage, located on Kirrin Island in Dorset, took the number one spot – beating other famous properties including the Geordie Shore house and Buckingham Palace.
As a nation, we favour a seaside residence, with the quaint Cornish cottage owned by ITV’s Doc Martin being voted in second place by a panel of 2,000 UK adults. One-in-five of us want to live in Fern Cottage in Port Isaac, a two-bedroom detached stone cottage, with stunning views overlooking the harbour and out to the Atlantic.
Although it’s been more than 40 years since Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers starred as Tom and Barbara Good in The Good Life on BBC One, the home of the couple still has an impact, coming third in the poll of famous properties. Over 10% of people chose the suburban property in Northwood as their ideal home.
The penthouse apartment owned by Christian Grey from the best-selling ‘50 Shades of Grey’ novels followed closely behind – with residents living in the north east of England most likely to choose this particular property.
The popularity of the British dating reality show ‘Love Island’ on ITV over the summer has also influenced the nation’s choice of home. The privately owned property in Majorca, known as ‘the Love Island Villa’, also made the list in fifth place.
Those living in Yorkshire were most likely to choose the Spanish property as their ideal home, compared to the rest of the UK. Perhaps unsurprisingly, students were twice as likely to pick the villa – it was the top choice for one in five students.
Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin, said: “We’re able to see first-hand what people want when creating their own perfect home, but were curious to find out which well-known properties the nation favours, from fictional homes and historic residences to properties made famous by popular culture.
“It’s interesting to see that Kirrin Cottage and the home of Tom and Barbara were both voted so highly in the list, despite not being in the public eye for decades. It shows how as a nation we still have a love of traditional homes that have a sense of nostalgia to them. The top two choices, Kirrin Cottage and Fern Cottage, are both seaside residences, indicating the continued importance of a good view; it’s all about location, location, location.”
The UK’s most wanted famous home:
1. Kirrin Cottage – George’s home in The Famous Five books, by Enid Blyton
2. Fern Cottage, Port Isaac – The home of ITV’s Doc Martin
3. The home of Tom and Barbara Good in The Good Life
4. Christian Grey’s penthouse apartment in 50 Shades of Grey
5. The Love Island Villa