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It really is location, location, location

Catherine Deshayes

Finding the perfect house is one thing but finding it in the perfect location is quite another, and many are prepared to pay a premium of £20,000 to secure the ideal spot...

We've all been there. Tracking down that dream property and wishing it could be packed up and transported to that perfect location.

A stunning country cottage on the edge of the motorway, a glorious manor house backing onto the train tracks, a converted barn in the shadow of a power station... the list goes on.

Now, Halifax has found that buyers are so desperate to secure that dream location that they are willing to pay an extra £20,000 in order to do so.

In their recent survey, Halifax Estate Agents found that proximity to the countryside was the most important facto when choosing a home, with one in four respondents listing this as their top priority.

Living near the countryside also added the most value to a property, with people ready to pat £35,000 for the privilege. Living near a town or city centre was also important to many, with one in ten stating that as their top priority.

Being close to work was the most important factor when it came to the younger generation - those aged between 18 and 34 rated this as absolutely crucial, swiftly followed by proximity to good transport links.

The over 45 year olds considered the most important factor to be a home's close proximity to the countryside and those aged between 35 and 44 years old preferred the property to be near a good school.

In addition, when it comes to adding value, those aged between 25 and 34 only believed that an ideal location was worth a premium of £11,239, whereas those aged between 55 and 64 considered this to be worth £35,759.

Gordon Edwards, Managing Director for Halifax Estate Agents, said, "Location and lifestyle factors are essential in the home buying decision process.

"Although other factors such as budget, property specification and availability play an important part, most people begin their search for a home by looking at geographic location first.

"Once they have decided on an area in which they want to live other factors then come into play.

"It is important to look into these factors when marketing your property. A few quick and easy pieces of research can help promote your home to prospective buyers.

"If, for example, your home is near a good school try to find out as much information about it as you can - your local education authority will be able to provide you with information," added Mr Edwards.

Last year, Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, topped the list of the best places to live in the UK. Edinburgh's got the highest concentration of listed buildings in the UK, plus thousands of bars, restaurants and clubs and there are more museums and galleries than in any other Local Authority.

The city is beautiful, and its Old Town, with its medieval road plan and Reformation era buildings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A £20 million regeneration programme announced last year will see a series of rundown buildings between the Royal Mile and Market Street transformed into a brand new quarter, set to include 80 flats and a budget hotel.

The South side, Edinburgh's primarily residential district, boasts famous faces, from Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, to crime writer Ian Rankin.  

The average Edinburgh detached home is now over the £200,000 price barrier, which is still far less than a home in London.

At the other end of the spectrum, Middlesbrough was voted the worst place to live in the UK last year.

The first town in the world to owe its existence to a railway, owing to its proximity to the Stockton and Darlington Railway which was joined to Middlesbrough in the 1830's; the city's crime levels are twice the UK average, whilst school exam results are amongst the lowest in the country.

It's not all bleak for this Teeside town though, with a whopping £500 million regeneration project planned for the Docklands area. The Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art is the leading light in the town, giving hope that the city is on the up.

Picture by wildthing