What type of housing would you not want to live?

[WomenHour]

House , Flat Penthouse , Caravan etc

I would probably not want to live on the top floor of a massive block of flats, couldn't be bothered.

Curious as to why people wouldn't want to live in a bungalow?

80% (not an offical stat!) of housing in nz is detached bungalows. Stairs are so foreign to me now. I grew up in the UK.

I wouldn't want to go back to living in flats/semi detached living. The feeling of having no one next/above/below is something I really cherish having flatted a lot.

Agree with so many of these, but I wouldn't live in a Victorian Terrace.

The lack of parking (I cannot parallel park), the fact that all the cars are on the roads just make the streets really unsafe for children. I also dislike the standard layout... the corridor to the side and then living room in front, dining room behind and kitchen behind that. I find the living rooms too boxy when they're separate but too corridor like when merged into one. Too often, they have a galley kitchen at the back, which I also find really anti social. If they extend the kitchen across the back, it gives the dining a really pokey window or makes it really dark. I also hate the downstairs bathroom thing.

I also agree with the previous poster that the rows of gardens also give you no privacy at all and they're just so expensive to maintain.

Maybe I'm just talking of the large Victorian Estate in my local town, but when we were house hunting, I was like, I'll look at anywhere but there... and all the estate agents, were like "but they've got character". I'm sorry, but they haven't. They're the original identikit house. All the layouts are the same - there's about 2/3 different designs between the whole estate and you know exactly which sort it is by the type of windows at the front! In my village there are several gorgeous Tudor houses, now they're houses with character!

brushandmop re bungalows, maybe people don't like sleeping on the ground floor and not being able to leave windows open overnight? I've never lived in one but I think I might feel less safe sleeping downstairs.

A modern townhouse or a flat unless the flat was ground floor with a garden and super sound insulated.

A period property or somewhere big and in the middle of nowhere. Anywhere too big, cold, drafty with rubbish soundproofing, or where you have to drive to be able to do anything.

I actually love living in a flat. Always warm, quick to heat, no maintenance or gardening work, right in the centre of town and I don't hear anyone else.

Nothing wrong with likes and dislikes.

It's the 'couldn't live' without a detached 27 bedroom house/60 acres/a gold-plated swimming pool which make it sound like people take things for granted.

I couldn’t live without a private swimming pool but unfortunately I’m having to.

Re;bungalows, for me it’s the safety issue of not wanting to be on the ground floor. I like leaving all my windows and doors open during summer including at night and that wouldn’t be safe.

Do you people who sleep with first floor windows open and think it's a lot safer than a bungalow not realise that climbing up 10' or so is no real biggie to your average skinny teenage opportunistic burglar?

This one!

I'd be happy to live anywhere but I have to have an outside space - even if it's only a balcony with just enough room for a chair and a few pots.

I suppose I'd find a townhouse annoying - going up and down levels just to nip to the kitchen.

I quite like the thought of a caravan (it would have to be a nice spacious one) - especially when there's a nice decking area around it and preferably by the sea

So I grew up in a two bedroom mid terrace house, loved it but moved out when I was 21 to the flat in in now, 1st floor of a 23 storey tower block with a view of nothing, a friend lives in the top floor and has an amazing view, can see the Dartford bridge from 10 miles away and as we are close to London City Airport can read the planes logos as they come down

I would like to live in a house again, DH and I trying to save up to buy one in the next few years

Flats. I’ve lived in three and could hear my neighbours every move.

As I've gotten older I'm more open . I've seen some amazing caravans which would normally be a no no for me.

As I'm in the market to move, I'd only consider a semi with no shared access and a detached once again Witt no shared access. Bitter experience tells me it's not worth it

I couldn't live in a MHO, new build, flat, terrace.
Could, and do live, in an old Edwardian semi, and my vardo. Depending on where work and family are.

Interesting preferences here.

I too spent several years living on the top floor (20th) of a tower block (in America) It was well-built, had loads of amenities, beautiful views. I would do it again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. Not every tall building is destined to be another Grenfell, as tragic as it was. I suspect the aversion to tower block living in the UK is tied to nothing more than council house snobbery. (see also, semi-detached)

For me, it's all good. Location over property every time. I love living somewhere walkable. So I would be miserable in the middle of nowhere, and can think of nothing worse than living somewhere you'd have to get in the car everytime you'd want to get a coffee or buy milk.

Anything not detached. Once you've got used to it its hard to go back to hearing other people around you....

I've lived on the 12th floor of a tower block, a very small house in the middle of woodlands and a huge 3 bed Victorian semi on a quiet road. I've loved all 3 to be honest. But the tower block flat was awesome for views of London and so quiet!

@MrsMariaReynolds I agree, I'm from a country where pretty much everyone lives in a tower block, and you can get some proper luxurious ones with amazing views. The heating is also centralised so you don't need a boiler in your flat either. To me it's completely normal and I find the English snobbery about tower blocks and "kids NEED a garden" attitude hilarious if not bizarre. The soundproofing, amenities, location and views is nearly always better in purpose-built flats. The Victorian conversions are the worst in terms of noise.

A flat in a block. Too many neighbours and too much noise. Plus the occasional broken lift. No thanks.

I think it's an age and stage thing. I wouldn't want to live in a flat with kids, but lived it in my early 20s before having children.

I wouldn't really want to live in a terrace or a converted flat because you hear your neighbors and they hear you. Far too stressful and aggravating if there's a choice about living there!

I also wouldn't want a big very old house - far too much work just stopping it deteriorating, and too expensive and wasteful to heat properly.

There is no way I would even stay one night in a caravan

@MrsMariaReynolds

Interesting preferences here.

I too spent several years living on the top floor (20th) of a tower block (in America) It was well-built, had loads of amenities, beautiful views. I would do it again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. Not every tall building is destined to be another Grenfell, as tragic as it was. I suspect the aversion to tower block living in the UK is tied to nothing more than council house snobbery. (see also, semi-detached)

For me, it's all good. Location over property every time. I love living somewhere walkable. So I would be miserable in the middle of nowhere, and can think of nothing worse than living somewhere you'd have to get in the car everytime you'd want to get a coffee or buy milk.

I’m a flat dweller.

I own part the freehold, my flat is in a lovely ex industrial building, it was originally an Edwardian printworks. The flats are lovely, mine has all original brickwork (internally), original wooden floors, original windows and lovely original ceiling supports. For where we are its a very good sized flat, we also have a little ‘courtyard’ and underground parking. The location is also fantastic.

Anywhere that didn't have decent, easy parking. I either want my own driveway, or an allocated parking space. None of this "grab a spot on the street, if you can" nonsense.

Nowhere in a village or deeply rural.

Just thought, there's a roundabout near Farnham off the A31 which has a few houses on it, Shepherd and Flock roundabout I think. Completely surrounded by traffic. Nothing could induce me to live there.