The latest research by the estate agent comparison site shows that terraced homes top the list with 29.4% of all transactions, closely followed by semi-detached properties with 29%. Detached homes accounted for 24.4% of sales, while flats proved the least popular nationally with just 17.3% of transactions.
Major Cities
Terraced houses proved popular for those living in major cities as well, accounting for the most transactions in 13 out of 20 major cities, with Portsmouth home to the highest percentage of terraced house transactions at 58%.
In Oxford, popularity is tied between semi-detached homes and terraced houses, both accounting for 33% of transactions.
Semi-detached homes proved the outright most popular in Swansea, Sheffield and Leeds, while homebuyers in Bournemouth, London and Southampton had a greater preference for flats.
County Level
At county and district level, detached homes proved the most popular across 34 locations with Ceredigion home to the highest number of detached transactions as a percentage of all transactions at 51%. Terraced homes accounted for the highest percentage of sales in 16 locations, proving the most popular in Blaenau Gwent (65%), followed by semi-detached homes in 14 areas with South Yorkshire and Port Talbot home to the highest percentage of sales (40%)
Again, flats were the most popular in just London, although Berkshire did also see flats tie with terraced homes as the most popular property purchase.
Detached and semi-detached homes tied for popularity in both the East Riding of Yorkshire and Staffordshire, while Berkshire and Northumberland saw semi-detached and terraced homes come out top for popularity amongst home buyers.
Colby Short, Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, commented: “The terraced house tops the table for home buyer popularity for a few reasons. First of all, it offers more space at a more reasonable price point to a semi-detached or detached home and is the logical ‘next step’ for home buyers looking to put down stronger roots when advancing from a flat.
"It also allows housebuilders to provide more stock in new developments with the space they have to build on and so this heightened level of supply hitting the market for the first time also increases the number of sales for this property type.
"Finally, while it does offer more space, those moving into semi-detached or detached homes tend to do so for the long haul, whilst those moving into a terraced house may well move a few years down the line for reasons such as a growing family or moving from the city outwards.
"Of course, there are some big regional differences and some counties offer more detached homes, while city living also leans more towards flats and terraced homes."
