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Homebuyers 'want eco-friendly properties'

Most homebuyers in the UK would prefer to buy a house with environmentally-friendly features, according to new research.

A study by Nationwide Building Society found that 82 per cent of buyers consider features such as solar panels a greater influence on their final decision to buy than other parts of a house, such as attic rooms and walk-in wardrobes.

Fionnuala Earley, chief economist at the firm, said: "It is great to see that, given the choice, most of us would opt for a 'green' home, although there's currently no evidence to suggest that environmentally-friendly properties command a higher price."

Ms Earley added that with the recent publication of the government's climate change bill, along with greater pressure on households to become more energy-efficient, it is inevitable that environmental home improvements will have some impact on house prices in the next few years.

The research also found that other important factors for house buyers included the quality of the neighbourhood, with 97 per cent of people saying that living in a pleasant area is a priority.

Furthermore, some were influenced by whether the house is in the catchment area of a good school and the likelihood of the property's value going up in future.

This follows recent advice from Yorkshire Bank, which stated that making energy-efficient improvements such as installing cavity wall insulation could help to attract more buyers.

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10/04/2007 16:02:48

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