Love thy neighbour – from a distance!

Love thy neighbour? As long as they’re not attached to our properties! Detached properties were still the most popular choice for 2006 – according to East Anglian-based Norwich and Peterborough Building Society (N&P).

The number of loans taken out by N&P customers on detached properties remained as high in 2006 as 2005, with the figure increasing by just under 1% to 35.63%. The popularity of semi-detached homes dropped slightly, with a reduction of just under 2% to 30.41% of total loans. Terraced homes remain in third position, with just over a quarter of all loans taken out for terraces.

Martin Bell, N&P’s head of residential lending, said: “Customers do look on their home as "their castle" and prefer the greater privacy that a detached property offers, along with the benefits of perhaps a bigger garden and fewer problems with noisy neighbours!"