Half of Britons 'keep dream home in mind'

Almost half of the people in the UK are looking to purchase their dream homes at some point in the future, a new survey has found.

The Home Sweet Home study from Legal & General found that the top location for such a property this year is a village, with 25 per cent choosing it as their top spot.

Some 22 per cent of people would consider taking out a dream mortgage by the sea, while 20 per cent would opt for the countryside, it added.

The most popular counties in which Britons would like to live include Cornwall, Devon, Greater London, Surrey and Yorkshire, the research found.

Gary Skelton, marketing director for the firm's general insurance business, said: "The survey would indicate that people are still quite positive about the future housing market given the number of respondents who still wish to live in their dream home."

This comes as figures from the British Bankers Association show that there were 46.2 per cent fewer mortgages taken out in March 2008 compared to the same month last year.