The grass is greener elsewhere for one in three Brits, who would be happy to relocate to buy their ‘forever home’ – the property they want to stay in for life – according to First Direct.

Fewer than half told the lender that their current location offers their dream property, while 15% of those who would relocate claim they’ll eventually travel overseas to find their forever home.

The average age people will buy their ‘forever home’ is 40 years old (and the average age for a first-time buyer is 30).

The most popular area for a forever home is Yorkshire, and the key essential features cited are being close to a supermarket (37%), low crime rates (36%), and good transport links (30%).

The perfect property

The top two features people demand in their dream home are a large kitchen (52%) and a private garden (47%), ahead of an ensuite bathroom (28%), an actual bath (24%) and a conservatory (19%).

A ‘forever’ home doesn’t need to come with all these features though, as 98% of those who are now living in their forever home have spent a further £20,000 on average on perfecting their home.

Women are nearly twice as likely to consider local schools when selecting their perfect home, while men sneak a good local pub onto their list of priorities.

Tracy Garrad, chief executive of First Direct, said: “The saying used to be life begins at 40, but with more people buying homes later and also working and living longer we need to reset the dial. There’s an obvious impact on mortgages, but also on savings and loans too. The research highlights a need for more innovation in products and services as millennials demand solutions tailored to fit in with lifestyles which are very different to that of their parents.”