WHAT kind of a home would you like to live in?

Well if you dream of a chocolate box cottage, get in the queue - that's top of the wishlist for most people, according to Strutt & Parker's latest Housing Futures survey.

Here's the top ten property wishlist.

1. Detached farmhouse cottage.

2. Three bedrooms or more.

3. Rural setting.

4. Less than a mile from the shops.

5. Traditional British interiors and cosy ambience.

6. AGA oven.

7. Broadband connectivity.

8. A walled garden.

9. An outstanding view of the countryside.

10. Good insulation for energy saving.

Stephanie McMahon, head of research at Strutt & Parker, said: “Over the past decade, there has been a focus on urban resurgence, so we were interested to discover that while our respondents want to live near other people, they didn’t want them on their doorstep.

“Lifestyle change remained the dominant motivation for moving, but in light of pension challenges and parents seeking to help their children onto the housing ladder, we were surprised to see that so few respondents ranked release of equity, pension top up and financial support for relatives as their reasons for moving home.

“It seems that we really are a nation of optimists – it certainly was encouraging to discover that 79.4% of respondents believe they can achieve their dream home within the next five years.”

Rural areas, villages and market towns came out as the most desired living environments at 23.3%, 22.9% and 17.0% respectively.

Walking distance to the shops (less than a mile) was crucial to 49.2% of people.

For the second year in a row, lifestyle change was the biggest motivation for moving (49.3%), followed by access to shops and amenities (39.3%).

A new category for the survey this year was broadband connectivity, which has shot in as the third motivation at 35.8% and highlights the desire to be technologically connected.

According to those who plan to move within five years, the ideal home will be a detached house (65.7%), either a farmhouse or in a cottage style.

It will be 1,500-2,499 sq ft and have a minimum of three bedrooms. The least desired home was a terraced house (6.0%). A flat, regardless of whether it was above a shop or a penthouse, was the second least desired option (9.0%).