27% of Britons have aspirations to build their own home, according to new research from Confused.com.
Currently, 7% of Brits have built their own homes.
Research from the price comparison site shows that of those who could consider building their own home, driving factors for doing so include fulfilling a lifetime dream (33%) and wanting their home to be unique (33%). However, the main motivation for those aspiring to build their own home is to have the freedom to design it how they want (79%).
This freedom would mean that Brits could include the modern technologies that they so desire, with 34% claiming that they would like to have more modern technologies in their home. According to the findings, they are looking for technologies such as smartphone controlled appliances (34%), self-flushing toilets (21%) and voice-activated lighting (20%) in their home.
49% of Brits say they would like to have a home security system, 46% would like to have underfloor heating and two-fifths (40%) would like to have a home cinema/entertainment system.
33% believe that modern technologies make running a home easier; for example, 9% already control some household appliances with their phone. Of those who opt for ‘mobile phone control’, 62% use it to control their TV, nearly 29% control their lighting and 13% use their phone to control their curtains.
7% argue that modern technology is important in their home because they like to spend the majority of their free time at home instead of going out, but technology isn’t proving to be popular with all. 25% say they prefer a more traditional home, 23% think modern technologies in the home encourages laziness and 17% think modern technologies in the home cause complications.
Gareth Lane, head of home insurance at Confused.com, said: “We’re all individuals and it’s understandable that we’d want to reflect this within our homes. Building your own home is the ultimate step towards that goal – whether you prefer a more traditional home or one with every gadget on the market.
“Brits are more technology savvy than ever but this does come at a price. When buying fancy gadgets, it’s vital to check these features are covered on your home insurance policy, especially the more futuristic ‘wacky’ technology that is often very expensive. This includes adjusting your policy when you renovate or purchase new items.”