Member Article

Children rule the roost in Yorkshire homes

Over 50% of parents in Yorkshire compromise on their own space within the home to accommodate their children’s demands, according to new research from Barratt Homes.

The research revealed that 61% of children in Yorkshire today have free run of the entire home, with no space off limits to them, including their parents’ bedroom or the ‘posh’ lounge. Children’s influence over the home space is certainly increasing when compared with previous generations – with only 52% of today’s parents saying they had free reign of the family home when they were younger.

To enable children to have more dedicated space within the home, 1 in 10 adults in Yorkshire have forgone a dining room or sacrificed space to store and use fitness equipment. Children in Yorkshire’s homes today have:

1. 23% - play room

2. 22% - play area in the garden

3. 10% - separate lounge

4. 7% - computer room

Children continue to rule the roost well into later life too, calling on emotional and financial support from their parents – 9% of parents in Yorkshire have had an adult child move back into the family home after previously moving out.

Changing family dynamics

As family life continues to evolve these changes are directly impacting what we look for in a new property - the Barratt research highlighted that nearly a third of homebuyers in Yorkshire (30%) look 10 years into the future when choosing their home. And this trend isn’t just to accommodate children - multi-generational and extended-family living is now more common than ever before with 19% of Yorkshire households currently comprising non-immediate family members, such as cousins and grandparents under one roof.

To cope with changing patterns of family life the top five internal factors homebuyers now look for when searching for a new property are:

1. Open plan: kitchen or dining area (37%)

2. Easy access to outside space: such as double doors from kitchen (40%)

3. Flexibility: ability to change function of the room (29%)

4. Sociability: how it works for socialising (23%)

5. Study: being able to have a private study (18%)

Speaking about the changing way families are living together, Paul Hogan, Sales Director at Barratt Homes Yorkshire East said: “We are continually researching and monitoring how families use their space at home, and Barratt incorporates this into the thoughtful design of the new homes we build. There is a big difference in the homes we design for modern family life compared with those built in the 1930s to meet the needs of families 80 years ago.

“Having a space which families can use in different ways is really critical to home buyers in Yorkshire. Open plan living is increasingly important but at the same time buyers are often looking for some sort of sanctuary space, whether that’s a separate study or an upgraded bedroom. And today’s family battleground now seems to be whether that space will also become dominated by children – whatever their age.”

To find out how you can make the most of the space in a new build home and to understand how Barratt Homes can help you utilise the space you have visit http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/New-is/A-place-for-everything/.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .