The properties that make Britain great are to be found all over the UK. Cue wisteria choked-cottages, sharp-shouldered rectories, ship-size Georgian mansions and teetering townhouses, all designed grandly and all probably once featured in Country Life magazine.

These architectural clichés are hard coded into our national psyche and by comparison Americans are mostly bereft of anything old, Australians have to do with identical modern neighbours and the French hate their drafty old chateaux and prefer new build bungalows.

But is that true – what homes do we British really have the property hots for? After trawling through the million or so properties listed on our site for sale and rent and looking at search patterns among our two and a half million users, all can be revealed.

A majority of us, our research shows, seek a detached property with a large garden in the heart of walking country and overlooking beautiful countryside. As Kirstie and Phil would say, such a tick list is not easy to fill.

Properties like the one pictured below are not even one to the dozen. So it’s no surprise that they are hugely in demand and are twice the national average house price (or £523,866 to be exact).

Britain's most desired home? This 18th/19th century stone farmhouse outside Avonbridge in Falkirk has outstanding views over the local countryside and comes with part ownership of a local nature reserve.

But the main truth our research has revealed is just how much we are nation of urban and suburban dwellers which pines for the countryside. It’s why programmes such as Kirstie Allsopp’s Homemade Home, which sells the satin-quilted bucolic dream, or Escape to the Country, are so popular.

Some 90% of us live in cities and more than half (57%) surveyed in the PrimeLocation.com Desirability Index said their dream house would be detached, in the countryside (33%), have good views (64%) and be near nice places to walk (44%).

Everyone loves a winning loser and if there’s one man who fits that bill perfectly at the moment it’s last night’s Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau who, despite losing eight tasks during the 14 programme series, made it through to win the £250,000 prize.

The cash, which will be invested in his business by Lord Sugar, along with the considerable free publicity it will create, comes at a time when Pellereau had been facing a difficult period in his life, he says.

Before appearing on the show inventor Pellereau had already launched several successful products including an ergonomically-designed nail file and a range of baby goods. But he told reporters recently that, after his most recent business venture faced an uncertain future, he sat in his London flat and decided it was time to be on the show.

But we can reveal that Tom, who proposed to girlfriend and ‘fellow-geek’ Sarah Fawcus just three weeks before the final last night, remains a home boy.

Despite renting in London and being holed up these days more and more at Sarah’s flat in Camberwell Green, South London, Tom’s life is still strongly tethered to his family home back in the wilds of Hampshire between Winchester and Basingstoke in a small hamlet called Swarraton.

The inventor and businessman is still registered at his parent’s address to vote in Hampshire where his family have a detached country home with a swimming pool and large garden.

Tom’s mum and dad bought the house for £480,000 in 2002 but it’s now worth at least £1 million – so perhaps the couple might want to jump in with Lord Sugar and help him fund his now promising but young business.

The bricks-and-mortar world of home ownership is many things, but seldom is it portrayed as a moral maze. But Primelocation’s brief talk with a friend over coffee yesterday revealed how dramatically people’s ethics are left at the front door when the home buying process is in full swing. Apologies for the unromantic tone of this blog on or around St Valentine’s Day.

Going behind people's backs: Can property buying lead to immoral behaviour?

My friend, let’s call him Mark, is selling his three bedroom 1960s semi in a quiet but not overly desirable suburb of south west London. It’s a buy to let investment forced on him last year by the soft local market – by which he means he couldn’t sell it so remortgaged, rented it out and bought his next home regardless. But now he’s keen to sell up as finances are tight and is keen to find a buyer – fast.

Viewings are not a problem for Mark’s currently empty ex-abode (the tenants were ejected to aid the sale) and last week eight were lined up for the weekend which, given the current market, was a promising start. But early on in the week one man said he was so keen to buy the house (which was on the market for £249,950) that he offered just under the asking price but requested, crucially, that he house be taken off the viewings treadmill.

Mark and his wife agonized over this for in the middle of a recession, who wants to turn down viewings?  But the buyer insisted. So off the market the property came and promises of financial fidelity ensued from both sides.

The weekend came and went but on Monday morning (today) the buyer phoned and confessed to a lapse – he had been seeing other properties and had decided to move in with someone else, he confessed and grovelled. Mark had lost a buyer and some seven or eight viewings and is now entirely averse to being led up the garden path, so to speak, by unfaithful potential partners in property.

But should you take your property off the market once a verbal offer is made, as Mark did?  The answer is definitely not and puts the balance of power even more heavily in the buyer’s favour.  But one question  my friend’s angst begs is why successive government’s over the decades – despite several failed attempts including Labour’s HIPs – have so happily encouraged or condoned betrayal on such a vast and expensive scale.

Why can’t we simply use the French system? Once you make an offer it’s binding and only subsequent planning or structural faults can break the promise, and the process moves forward to a sale. It would, at the very least,  cut out the naughtiness that my friend Mark has had to endure.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

We know about the engagement ring, the proposal and that the wedding itself is happening sometime next summer, but what we’re all still waiting to find out is where Prince William and Kate Middleton will make their marital home.

So far, it seems most likely the royal couple will put down roots in a house that the Prince of Wales has been building on his Harewood Park estate in Herefordshire, a farm he bought back in 2000 in border countryside between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye.

William’s father is reportedly in the process of spending between eight and nine million pounds turning the once run-down estate into an eco-farm, including the creation of a ‘green mansion’ in an undisclosed location within its 900 acres of rolling countryside that is said to be earmarked for William’s – and now Kate’s – use.

The property – which is under construction – is a restored and enlarged six-bedroom farmhouse that’s also a model of environmental friendliness and will include a reed-bed sewage system, wood chip boiler, solar panels and walls lined with insulating sheep’s wool.

The really good news is that Ross-on-Wye locals are likely to welcome their new royal neighbours with open arms, according to Richard Butler, owner of the local Richard Butler Estate Agents, who says the property is worth in excess of two million pounds and is of a “phenomenal size”.

“It would be very good news for the area,” Butler says.

“Once it’s finished, it will probably be one of the better, if not the best properties of its style in the whole of Herefordshire.”

For the past year or so during their ‘extended courtship’ William and Kate have been living in a secret location on the island of Anglesey while William does a three-year stint as a search and rescue helicopter pilot at RAF Valley. The property, which is a whitewashed farmhouse, is being rented for £750 a month and very much off the beaten track and has access to a private beach.
 
Melfyn Williams, chairman of the Wales-based estate agent The Property People, says the island’s locals would also dearly love to the see the couple make their permanent home in Anglesey.

“It’s a lovely part of the country, it’s got sandy beaches and rugged mountains and is close to where Prince William is currently working.”
 
The Harewood Park estate won’t be the couple’s only likely address. When staying in London William and Kate will have an apartment in Clarence House to use as well, not to mention Kate’s parents’ place in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where until recently a bedroom had been set aside for her use.

I’ll admit to having Wimbledon fever. It happens every year. I get giddy for two weeks.

So if you ask me to leave my prime viewing position on the sofa, you had better make sure the match has finished. Otherwise I’m going to be very late indeed (those five set matches are always an issue).

This time of year, everyone will be swarming the area to watch Andy Murray as he battles to win the title. But Wimbledon is actually a very lovely place to live all year round.

It’s in the quieter part of London and, frankly, is all the better for it.  Plus, you’re close to Richmond, and that, in my eyes, can only be a good thing.

Let’s have a look at some homes in the area.

Ace – £7,750,000

I love this property. There’s something so old-fashioned about it. It’s an Edwardian building and I can imagine there being wonderful Brideshead Revisited style parties here.

There would be nothing but fun in this home. Garden parties, champagne cocktails before dinner and all sorts of entertainment (yes, I think it would be fun to live in aristocratic England. Is that weird?)

But what do you get for your millions? Well aside from the stunning gardens, you’ll get nine bedrooms and seven bathrooms (and those bathrooms are amazing).

You’ll also get five reception rooms for all of your swanky soirees. I’ll expect my invite in the post.

Advantage – £1,150,000

If you’re looking for somewhere right by the All England Tennis Club, this home will be perfect.

Very handy after playing a couple of sets before dinner. You get the benefit of an indoor pool and some lovely looking gardens as well.

There’s a games room and five bedrooms too. Not bad for just over a million. If you happen to have that lying around, of course.

Maybe Andy Murray could buy this with his potential winnings?

Deuce – £309,950

This flat has many things going for it, not least off-street parking, which is pretty important in London.

The flat has one bedroom with en-suite and really spacious rooms. You get a balcony as well.

It’s a great option for a professional couple looking for a home to settle in, but still within easy reach of central London.

Love-Fifteen – £145,000

If you’re looking for a small flat in the area, you could do a lot worse than this property. It’s near both mainline stations and the underground, and it has everything you need.

Best of all, there’s no stamp duty. This is an expensive area of London so it’s nice to know that you can still find somewhere that’s good value, but has all the perks of living in this much sought after area.

After watching Kirstie’s Homemade Home last week, I realised that a lot of the crafts she learns appear to be pretty inaccessible. But they’re not! The show is only meant to inspire you – you’re not meant to go out every single week and take up pottery and glass blowing.  Once you’ve spotted something on the show that you think can really get into, it can make a huge difference to your home. But let’s be honest here, you’re not going to pop down to your local community centre and start a glass blowing class. So here are a few places you should look when you’re ready to take the plunge into the crafty world!

If you’re London-based, the choice of courses is huge. The Make Lounge is a great place to start. They do day courses in everything from cushion making, to vintage soy tea cup candles. Everything is really simple, the tutors are fun and you come away with skills that you can use. You can also try The Studio London, and brand new Papered Parlour are worth a look as well.

For those of you a little further afield, The Liquid Glass Centre in South West England might well be the perfect place for you to start your own glassware collection! London Glassblowing will cover those of you who are capital-bound.

Pottery classes are much easier to cater for. You’ll actually find that most evening class centres have a pottery class. It’s surprisingly cheap to learn so it’s well worth looking at a ten week course instead of a one-off. Make your own crockery set! Take a look at Hot Courses and you’ll find all sorts of crafty classes. Try your local community centre too.

If Kirstie knitting a draught excluder got you inspired to pick up some knitting needles, your local craft shop will have details of knitting classes in your area (in fact, you’ll probably find that they hold some themselves. You’ll find that most of them are pretty informal. If they’re anything like Stitch and Bitch in London you’ll find yourself knitting and pearling with people in a pub! great fun. Check out the Stitch and Bitch website for more details on UK knitting networks. There’s nothing bitchy about them, I promise.

There are loads of different things that you can try yourself. Check out Crafty Crafty for more ideas. Being crafty isn’t meant to be difficult and once you’ve got started with something that you enjoy, you’ll soon find ways to transform your home. It might not be as grand as the one Kirstie is doing up, but it’s yours.

As this is my first blog post for Primelocation.com, I’ve been having a think about what I would want in my home if money was no object. Truth be told, I’m a writer living on the outskirts of Greenwich in South East London. Home is actually a rickety little house on a teeny budget but it’s nice to dream every now and again, isn’t it?

Location isn’t a huge issue for me, although living near a city would keep me happy. But I do want a house and not a flat. More space for decorating then. Somewhere surrounded by green would be nice, maybe a river, but close enough to civilisation so I don’t go stir crazy. Richmond would suit me just fine thank you very much.

I need a garden, although I’ve never gardened in my life and kill any plant I try to look after, but I have a notion that there would be a cat rolling about in the sunshine and lovely wild flowers growing. A patio with a BBQ and friends in the summer. You can picture it now can’t you? Wine flowing, lots of laughing and having fun. Who’s doing the garden for me? I don’t know. It’s my dream, don’t ruin it with technicalities.

Inside? Well I’m a bit more fussy about this. The kitchen is vital to me and I really want one of those islands in the middle, with all of the pots and pans hanging up around it. A proper farmhouse kitchen. It has to be big enough for a dining table as well – I like cooking while chatting to people. No TV. I hate TVs in the kitchen. But I’d like a fridge with an ice crusher. Simple things, I know.

I also really, really want a library. Not a huge one. But one with a cosy comfy reading chair and lots of books from wall to floor. Might have a little desk in there too but I don’t want a home office, just somewhere just for being quiet and reading. Being surrounded by books is important to me, even if I can’t quite budget for a spare room to dedicate to them just yet. That’s a bit of a luxury isn’t it?

A loft room would be ideal, but with a huge skylight. And a spiral staircase. I’ve also wanted a spiral staircase ever since I was a child. All the good fairy tale books have spiral staircases in. And I think it goes without saying that I’d want a walk-in wardrobe. What girl doesn’t?

Everything would be simple and classic. A modern country style that looks cosy. I spend a lot of time at home and it has to be cosy. I have to want to curl up at the end of the day and forget about work – which isn’t easy to do if you work from home.

Everyone has a picture of how their dream home would look, these are just the bits that are important to me. So tell me, what would be in your dream home? Sea view? Huge bathroom? Or somewhere cosy to sit and share a bottle of wine with someone lovely? Everyone’s idea of the perfect home is different. I guess that’s what makes it a home instead of a house.

Does anyone reading this know a lottery winner, Russian oligarch, wealthy ageing rockstar or similar? If so you should let them know that according to the Daily Mail, a handsome little village called Linkenholt is up for grabs for the meagre sum of £25m, which is roughly what they would have spent on a two-bed semi in Sloane Square anyway.

 Seriously. Your OWN VILLAGE.

It’s a nice thought, no?

If I was to snap this baby up, I would have a few key questions for the estate agent.

1. Will I be allowed to rename it? Linkenholt is very nice, but I was thinking something with a bit more chutzpah, something a bit more modern and relevant and spectacular. Something that shows we’re down with the kids. Hogwartstonville, perhaps, or Russell-Crow-on-the-Wold. Or New HighschoolmusiCaledonia.

2. Can I kick people out if I don’t like them? For £25m, I don’t want some concrete-faced neighbour telling me to turn my music down. I am a fair person, however, and am willing to implement a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy.
 

3. Can I make some new local laws? Nothing unreasonable, obviously. Just off the top of my head, perhaps it will be illegal in New HighschoolmusiCaledonia to work on snow days, or to walk slowly on the footpath when someone is walking behind you, or to leave the plastic covering on your furniture after you’ve bought it, or to leave your car engine running while you’re parked.

4. Can I have a Bank holiday in my name? Just in the village, of course, not all of the UK. Although everyone will be welcome to celebrate Jessica Townsend Day if they feel inclined. We will have a parade of floats through the centre of town, and everyone will dress up like me and we will dance to Kylie Minogue all night. Tra la la.

Thanks to Mike from Winging It for pointing us in the direction of this Bargain of the Century!

Over to you, then. What would you name your village? Any laws you’d introduce?

There are in the region of 373,000 listed buildings in the UK and many are oozing with their own charm and quirky features. Although many people love the idea of living in a listed building, they’re sometimes put off by the thought of dealing with it (thanks to horror stories about people trying to do alterations and not being allowed to do the work) and the extra paperwork and implications involved. If you’re wondering about the reality of coping with a listed building, then here are the facts!

1. When a building is called listed it means it’s regarded as being of special historic or architectural interest and is on a national register. The listing protects the whole of the building – outside and inside, plus surrounding areas – and any owner has a duty to keep the building in good repair.

2. As an owner of a listed building, you have to contact the conservation officer at your local district council if you ever wish to alter, extend, change or demolish any part of your building in a way that might affect the character or setting. You need to gain Listed Building Consent from the council – similar to planning permission, but no fees involved – before you can start any work.

3. Alterations or changes that require Listed Building Consent include: changing the roofing material, removing internal walls, changing fireplaces or staircases, changing windows, painting over brickwork, putting up aerials or satellite dishes, and removing external surfaces.

4. It takes about eight weeks for the results of applications for Listed Building Consent to be considered and decided upon. If your proposal is turned down, you will have six months in which to make an appeal.

5. If you go ahead and alter a listed building without first gaining consent, then it is regarded as a criminal offence and you could be fined or even imprisoned. The council will also insist the property is returned to how it was.

6. If you’re buying a listed property, you need to ensure that any previous work carried out has been authorised. If it hasn’t, you could be held responsible – even though you had nothing to do with it – as you will inherit the problems.

7. In England and Wales, the authority for listing is granted by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and administered by English Heritage. In Wales and Scotland there are different organisations involved, namely CADW in Wales and Historic Scotland in Scotland.

8. A limited number of grants are available from local conservation officers to help with repair and upkeep on listed buildings.

9. Statistics indicate that 92% of all listed buildings are grade II listed (of special interest), 5.5% are grade II* (particularly important buildings) and 2.5% are grade I listed (exceptionally important buildings). 38% of all listed buildings are used as domestic dwellings.

10. The older and rarer a building, the more likely it is to be listed. Properties built before 1700 and which have survived well, are very likely to be listed and any properties built before 1840 may well make the listed grade. It’s not just older properties though – some exceptional modern buildings built after 1945 are known to have listed status too. In addition to age, buildings that are of particular architectural interest or associated with key events or historical figures may have a listed status too.

To find listed property for sale, head over and search on Primelocation.com (typing ‘listed’ into the keyword search field).

This week’s best neighbours:

In Australia, good Samaritan Jerry Karpluk woke up and ran outside in the middle of the night to fight a fire on a neighbouring property with a garden hose, saving a family of three… while starkers. “Unfortunately I sleep naked, so I’ve bolted out…  I was just able to grab a hand towel,” Mr Karpluk said.

Continuing with the theme of house fires, Canadian Lisa Condly is helping neighbour John Booker after his home was destroyed in a blaze. She’s so far obtained for him a generator, a bed, clothes and a wood stove, and is on her way to getting enough lumber to rebuild his home. Nice!

Neighbours in Gaza and Sderot are keeping each other informed with what’s happening on each side of the border via text messages and email. That’s friendly.

This week’s worst neighbours:

A Canadian man has been charged with bludgeoning to death his 81-year-old neighbour. Not very neighbourly at all.

Uganda isn’t about to win any awards either, frankly, with all the killing and invading and so on.

And to top it all off, Holly Valance (AKA Flick  Scully) has been slandering that fine Australian establishment, and her former employer, TV soap Neighbours. ”It’s not great these days… I actually watched it recently and thought it was rubbish.” Holly… this isn’t a new development.

Got a great neighbour (or even better, a dodgy one) you’d like to acknowledge? Leave a comment and let us know!