New survey shows alternative housing choices young people would make

A study revealed that a third of young people would choose to buy and live in a caravan if they couldn’t get on the property ladder.

My Home Move conducted a survey of 1,000 people across the UK aged between 18 and 34. Nearly a third of people would opt to live in a caravan (29%), followed by 24% favouring a lodge, and 13% choosing a canal boat.

Doug Crawford, CEO of My Home Move, said: “Being able to own your home is still an aspiration for most young people; however, despite the Help to Buy schemes, a rise in gifted deposits and shared ownership programs, the reality is that for many, getting on the property ladder is still too expensive.”

“What our research clearly shows however, is that the desire for a home is still very real, as less than 2% said they would continue renting long term, and that most would think creatively to secure themselves a future property.”

He added: “These findings suggest that as an industry we could do more to support aspiring home owners by developing and providing inventive housing solutions.”

In their regionalised findings, 40% of young people in the north east would choose a caravan over other housing alternatives, while the idea of a treehouse appealed to no one. In comparison, a lodge was favourable among 34% of young people across East Anglia, almost twice as much as a caravan (17%).

Across Wales, the South East and London, young people preferred the idea of a Tiny House construction – an idea governed by George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. The idea of living in a tent was only desirable in the West Midlands.

The survey also showed that the straw-bale self-build houses from the Lord of the Rings inspired 3% of young people, proving the least popular choice.