/24-7PressRelease/ - LEEDS, UK, July 04, 2008 - Cashing In On Bricks & Mortar? Neighbourly Love More Like
Survey reveals good relations with neighbours, but security fears raised
With property experts predicting a drastic dip in house prices over the next year, gone are the days of making a quick buck, so many new homeowners are deciding to stay put and make the most of their properties, according to a national poll announced today.
The research, carried out by ethical home insurance company Congregational & General, reveals that 81 per cent of people think that striking up good relations with the neighbours is crucial, while three-quarters (73 per cent) believe that people, rather than possessions transform a house into a home.
Of those polled, 45 per cent would like to be friends with their neighbours, while 13 per cent stated that it is 'essential we make friends'. When it came to the list of things that actually make a house a home, the top responses were changing the d cor from the previous owners (32 per cent) and having personal mementos and photos in place (24 per cent).
Asked about how long they felt it took to make their new property feel homely, the majority (34 per cent) said up to three months, including 14 per cent who said the minute they moved in, while 4 per cent said they have "never felt at home" in their current abode.
Margaret Slater, Congregational's Marketing Manager, commented: "These findings are interesting as they appear to mark a shift in people's attitudes towards the housing market. From people making huge profits within a short time to attracting reduced offers for their properties, homeowners are making the most of what they've got, including the neighbours."
However, it wasn't all positive news with a third of respondents (29 per cent) citing the fear of being burgled as their top concern, which was supported by nearly half (46 per cent) who said that, given a choice, an intruder alarm was the one security deterrent they've have installed to protect their property - ahead of the traditional guard dog (16 per cent) and CCTV (15 per cent).
Anxiety over the housing market's current unpredictability was evident with 17 per cent saying they feared not being able to keep up with mortgage repayments, while the poll also revealed nervousness amongst the over 65s - a surprisingly high one in three (29 per cent) stating that falling house prices was their number one home-related concern - despite most being mortgage-free.
Margaret continued: "It is really surprising that so many older people state falling house values as their primary concern, which is far greater than worries over rising utility bills. This indicates underlying concerns over the security of their 'nest eggs' and the potential decrease in inheritance for relatives."
For more information on Congregational's home insurance visit http://www.shared-values.co.uk. Research was carried out in May 2008 by YourSayPays, a research panel operated by The Leadership Factor. A national sample of 1,025 people were polled.
ENDS -
Notes to editors
1. Congregational & General is one of the country's most respected insurers of homes and churches with over 9 billion household assets and almost 5 billion church assets covered in the UK.
2. Based in Bradford, it is wholly-owned by a charitable trust which to date has received over 6million for disbursement through grant application to churches and other worthy causes.
3. In addition to issuing policies for nearly 7,000 places of worship of all denominations, the fastest growing area of its business today is the private homeowner. For more information visit http://www.shared-values.co.uk
4. All research carried out by YourSayPays, a research panel operated by The Leadership Factor (www.leadershipfactor.com), the UK's leading source of customer satisfaction data. It has a panel of 12,000 members covering the UK with all demographic sectors represented. Surveys are conducted in line with the MRS code of conduct
For further information
Contact Adrian Johnson or Nick Wood in the Congregational Press Office on 0113 243 1117.
Email adrian@lucrecommunications.com; nick@lucrecommunications.com
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