Yes to padel, no to swimming pools: How to attract a new generation to the countryside

Forget the dream of marathon renovations. Today’s younger purchasers in the countryside ideally want homes they can start living in straightaway. They’re not signing up for years of builders and muddy boots; they want the Champagne on ice by the first weekend,’ says Jamie Freeman of Haringtons UK.

Figures from Knight Frank Research show that the percentage of younger parents plumping for a home outside London has risen over the past 12 years. This is a cohort that favours well-renovated homes, pukka amenities and buzzing communities. The proportion of sales to buyers under 50 years old across Knight Frank’s country business climbed from 48% in 2012 to 61% last year.

The biggest jump, unsurprisingly, was in the Home Counties region, where the share increased from 39% to 64%, followed by the South-West and South-East. According to Strutt & Parker’s Housing Futures survey, 24% of under-50s living in urban areas plan to relocate to a village or rural location within the next five years.

Joanna Cocking, head of Hamptons Private Office, Country, has also spotted this profile of buyers evolving, with a notable shift towards a younger age bracket — between 35 and 45. ‘These buyers are entering the market through various financial avenues — some through inheritance — but, increasingly, we’re witnessing parents giving money early by downsizing their own family homes to release equity and mitigate inheritance-tax concerns. There’s also a notable contingent of young entrepreneurial wealth.’

What makes these purchasers tick? The ability to commute counts, highlighted by the popularity of those areas with strong links to London. Matthew Hodder-Williams of Knight Frank in Sevenoaks, Kent, reports a noticeable uptick in interest from buyers currently living in areas such as Fulham and Wimbledon: ‘Traditionally, those buyers might have gravitated down the M3 or A3 corridor, but the speed and reliability of access into central London from places such as Sevenoaks is proving more compelling.’

At Knight Frank in Bath, Somerset, partner Charlie Taylor says the growth of remote working has been particularly advantageous in his area, as maintaining London connections is easy thanks to fast, direct trains. It also means that old London friends can pop down for the weekend.

Villages with vibrant communities have magnetic appeal. As Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s Country House Department, explains: ‘These buyers aren’t just looking for a slower pace of life anywhere in the countryside. They want to feel part of something.’ According to Gemma Maclaran, Cotswolds expert at Middleton Advisors, the ‘absolute dream’ is to have a village pub and shop, plus a spa or members’ club such as Estelle Manor or Soho Farmhouse, on the doorstep.

Although schools are still a draw, ‘they’re not the deal-breaker they used to be,’ says Sebastian Hipwood, co-founder of Blue Book Agency. ‘With VAT being added to private-school fees, many, especially buyers under the £3 million mark, are looking at brilliant local state schools instead, which gives them far more freedom on location.’

As younger purchasers are often juggling careers with young children, well-renovated homes are in vogue. According to Oliver, they prefer rooms that connect properly and, as part of this search for ‘flow’, they are often ‘forensic’ about layout. Sebastian explains: ‘They love big kitchens and generous living spaces for entertaining, but, increasingly, they also want rooms they can shut off: home offices, quiet sitting rooms, spaces to which adults can retreat.’

Phillippa Dalby-Welsh, head of Savills Country House Department adds: ‘Some have flexible jobs with clients who come to their house, so having an office in an outbuilding where they can welcome guests and business associates can be an advantage.’

What younger buyers want

• Fast broadband and decent mobile signal are non-negotiable

• A combination of open-plan layout and quiet rooms as potential offices

• Outbuildings in which to welcome clients

• Good state schools

• Fast train connections

• Family roots and helpful grandparents

• Tennis or, preferably, padel court

• Party barn

• ‘Wellness’ — ponds/lakes for wild swimming, saunas, hot tubs

What they don't

• Big renovation projects

• ‘Higgledy-piggledy’ houses with low ceilings and awkward spaces

• A history of flooding, however minor

• Swimming pools — too hard to maintain, especially if family is away in the summer holidays