The British obsession with detached homes – and the lengths we’ll go to buy one

Hannah Love Costello and her husband Daryl were prepared to carry out extensive work on the original bungalow because they loved the location and the space – John Lawrence

When eight-year-old Phoebe Greenhalgh reaches for her drum sticks her mother Kate doesn’t need to worry about what the neighbours will make of her musical talents.

Almost two years ago Kate, her husband John, and Phoebe, moved from their three bedroom semi-detached house in Bolton to a four-bedroom detached home nearby.

And – despite the fact the new place cost almost twice as much – the couple feel the peace and lack of stress they now enjoy has been well worth the expense.

For many buyers owning a detached home is the pinnacle of their property buying ambitions, and according to research from Rightmove, detached home sales are having a resurgence.

After a lull caused by interest rate rises, the portal reports that the number of detached homes currently under offer is 17pc higher than at the same time last year. And this is despite their price tag.

Exclusive research by estate agent Hamptons found that detached homes are, on average, almost 60pc more expensive than semi-detached properties. The cash disparity is almost £170,000 – a lot of money for an extra bedroom or two, bigger garden, and privacy.

‘We didn’t do it for the kudos, we just wanted a family home’

John and Kate Greenhalgh paid almost twice as much as their semi was worth for a detached house in Bolton – Lorne Campbell/Guzelian

Kate, 42, and John, 43, began their property ladder journey in a two-bedroom flat. Seven years ago they founded a business, A Year of Dates, selling gifts aimed at couples. The concept took off and in 2017 they were able to upsize to the semi, which cost around £235,000.

By 2021, however, the Greenhalgh’s were having doubts about their house. It only had one bathroom, and its kitchen was small and dated.

“All the other houses on the streets nearby had big extensions, but we didn’t want to have to deal with builders while we were running a business,” said Kate.

“We decided that rather than add value there, we would move to somewhere that was already nicely done.”

In 2022 the couple found their current home, a four-bedroom, three-bathroom detached house. They sold their semi for £320,000 but their new home cost a budget busting £600,000.

“From our point of view it was worth it because we didn’t have to do any work,” said Kate.

As well as being bigger and smarter than their old place the new house is quieter, with less ambient noise from neighbours and passers-by. It is on a cul-de-sac so Phoebe and her friends can play outside in safety, and the garden is much bigger than at the old house.

“Did we want a detached house because of the kudos? Not at all,” said Kate.

“We just wanted a family home we could be happy in. But we are very proud that we have been able to do it. We set up our business from the kitchen table in a two-bedroom flat seven years ago and never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d be buying this type of house.”

Upsizing was more convenient than building an extension for the Greenhalghs, who were starting their business at the time

Demand for detached is on the rise

According to the most recent census data, only a fortunate minority lives in a detached house. Of the 24.8 million households living in England and Wales, 5.8 million lived in detached homes in 2021. This is an increase from 5.3 million in 2011, suggesting house builders are keen to provide more detached homes to meet demand for what is a premium product.

Hamptons found that a typical semi in England and Wales currently trades for £282,000, while detached homes sell for an average of £448,000.

In the North East the gulf between semis and detached homes (£162,330 versus £270,000) is a resounding 66pc.

Meanwhile, in the East of England, detached homes cost 47pc more than average semis. But, given higher house prices, the cash difference is more than £165,000.

The most expensive spot in England and Wales to trade up from a semi to a detached home is Elmbridge, Surrey – detached houses here sell for 110pc more than semis.

London has far less of a detached premium – probably because some of its most prestigious homes are townhouses. In fact in Kensington and Chelsea detached houses, at an average sale price of £3.7m, are slightly better value than semis, which sell for an average of £3.8m.

Of course this kind of regional and local authority data masks many local micro trends.

Natasha Selbie, director of Savills Tunbridge Wells, said buyers in Kent must pay from £850,000 for a semi in the town, compared to from £1.25m for a detached home – a premium of almost 50pc.

These buyers tend to be families – nuclear, blended, or multigenerational – and are willing to pay this for a combination of reasons: larger gardens, better parking, peace and quiet, and prestige.

“There’s the simplicity aspect too,” she said. “You are able to manage your own space, without shared responsibilities to negotiate. There’s something about being king or queen of your own castle, and the privacy and independence that comes with that.”

When discussing the allure of detached houses the phrase an Englishman’s home is his castle comes up, regularly.

“Buyers often say they need to be able to walk the whole way around their home,” said Jennie Hancock, founder and director of West Sussex buying agency Property Acquisitions.

“Privacy is so important and although nobody can choose who their neighbours are, a detached home provides greater autonomy and you’re less likely to have to put up with minor irritations like violin practice or doors being slammed.”

Of course not all detached homes are equal. In north London Jeremy Leaf, principal of Jeremy Leaf & Co estate agent, said a typical semi would cost around £850,000, while a detached home would be more like £1.25m, thanks to its scale, potential for extension, and dual aspect rooms.

The same cannot be said of some new-build houses, however. “Some of the detached houses built nowadays are really just sliced-up terraced properties with narrow side passages, giving the feel of a terraced house rather than the space of a detached property,” said Leaf.

‘It was the garden we fell in love with’

This problem was not an issue for Hannah Love Costello, 46, and husband Daryl Costello, 40. Rather than buy a finished home they spent seven months living in a caravan with a baby, two young children, and a boisterous Labrador in order to upgrade their pokey bungalow into a four-bedroom detached family home.

The half-acre garden and privacy was a major lure for the Costellos, rather than the original Sixties-style bungalow – John Lawrence/TMG MayKa

Hannah, a baby sleep and parenting expert and founder of Sleep Well With Hannah, and Daryl, who has just quit his job in social media and marketing to join his wife’s company, began their property journey in a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Bracknell, Berkshire, which they bought for £180,000.

The couple were driven by a desire for more space when they began their house hunt in 2013 – they had two children, Oliver, now 15, and Ella, now 11, and hopes of another.

“We wanted another bedroom and an office for me,” said Hannah. “A detached house was the ideal, because we are a busy family and like socialising and having people over, and we were always conscious of having neighbours next door.”

The house they chose – a dated bungalow even smaller than their semi – did not tick many of their boxes. “But we fell in love with the garden,” said Hannah. “It is about half an acre, there is a train line along one side, and only one neighbour, about 10 meters away.”

The Costellos lived in a caravan for seven months while an upper floor was added to their dated bungalow, creating their dream family home – John Lawrence/TMG MayKa

They sold their semi for £270,000, bought the bungalow for £370,000, and moved in, ignoring little inconveniences like the Sixties décor, the fact that there was only one plug in the kitchen, and the shower that had to be turned on and off using a switch in the airing cupboard, while they planned a refurb.

Four years later, in 2017 the family, which by this time included baby Henry, moved into a caravan in the garden for seven months while an upper floor was added to their home to create a four bedroom detached house.

The build cost around £250,000 but Hannah believes the house is now worth £800,000 to £900,000.

“I would do it all again tomorrow,” she said.

“The kids absolutely loved it – they thought it was exciting living on a building site, and for us it was worth everything to have our dream house. We couldn’t have bought a house anything like this.”

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