Zoopla has been analysing your search history. But before you panic and attempt to destroy your hard drive, it should be pointed out that the data only relates to property searches on its site – so what have you been looking at?
New research from property website, Zoopla, reveals that the UK remains home to plenty of petrolheads with searches of โgarageโ and โparkingโ ranking in first and third place respectively. Proving that green-fingered Brits still love their own outdoor space, โgardenโ is in second place.
โBungalowโ is fourth on the list as an increasing number of older people seek to live on one level. House hunters searching for space and privacy put โdetachedโ in fifth place, while โannexโ ranked as the sixth most popular search term as Brits look to house multiple generations or growing families.
At a regional level, Zooplaโs analysis shows that people are looking for properties that make the most of a local areaโs characteristics. Those looking for homes in the South West are hoping to snap up a coastal retreat, with โsea viewโ and โcottageโ making the top ten search terms.
In the East of England, property searchers are after a rural idyll with โacreโ and โruralโ high on their list of priorities along with โpoolโ. Londoners searched for โgardenโ more than any other term despite outside space coming at a premium. Londonโs higher property prices, and its less affordable market for first time buyers, is shown by โHelp to Buyโ also making the list, and thereโs clearly an appetite for โfreeholdโ property with this term making it into the Capitalโs top ten.
Home hunters in Yorkshire and Humber are keen to embrace country living, with โruralโ and โacreโ making their top ten list of most searched for terms while in Scotland, people value their privacy with โsecludedโ being a key priority when searching for a property.
Top ten keyword searches across UK and regions:
Andy Marshall, Chief Commercial Officer at Zoopla said, โKeyword searches are a useful gauge of home buyer priorities, and offer an insight into how people are living today. They can also inform agents on which attributes to highlight in a listing, which in turn enhances searchability amongst home hunters.
“The prevalence of โgarageโ, โparkingโ and โdrivewayโ demonstrates that the ability to park a car can determine whether or not a buyer will arrange a viewing. Gardens are similarly popular, and should always be mentioned in a propertyโs listing.
“There are some interesting regional nuances that are worth considering, too. โRuralโ, โacreโ, โsecludedโ and โannexโ arenโt necessarily front of mind when writing up a property, but prospective buyers in certain regions are clearly associating them with their property wish-list.
“Buyer preferences evolve over time, and โelectric car-charging pointโ and โsmart homeโ will no doubt emerge as search priorities in due course, particularly as eco-living and automated properties become more mainstream.โ
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