Are You a Secret Property Lover?

Most of us are probably guilty of browsing through properties that we can never afford just for the fun of it. Whether you're looking for ideas or simply seeing what you could buy with a lottery win, according to a recent survey more and more people are spending time on 'property porn'.

Property Envy

A poll carried out by Tepilo, the online estate agent, found that two-thirds of the population look at properties that are out of their price range simply for something to do. They've even given a name to this phenomenon ? 'property porn'. Those living in the North East and London are more likely to carry out these searches. It's also more popular amongst women, with 75% of them saying they look at homes they're never going to buy.

There are many reasons why people do this, according to the survey. Some people are just being nosey, whilst others want to see how the super rich actually live, and then there are those searching for decorating tips.

A Great Source of Ideas

You might think that 'property porn' is just a waste of time and you may not get the fascination with it. However, browsing through high end property sites could be a great source of ideas for your own home. Even if you don't have the upmarket budgets and contacts that these property owners have, there's no reason why you can't adapt their ideas and styles to suit your house.

One area of property renovation that is increasingly moving from luxury homes to the more general population is the installation of balconies. In the past, these were only an option on expensive residential developments or upmarket city-centre apartments. However, there is now a much greater choice available, opening up the market. Once the main structure has been installed, there are many ways in which you can add to the uniqueness of your balcony. Things such as the balcony railing and balustrades can be manufactured from a range of materials to suit your own style.

Looking at expensive properties is also a good way of sourcing ideas for staircase designs. Often these houses have stunning feature staircases. Even if you don't have the space to achieve something on this scale, they can still help you make the most from the room available.

So next time you're browsing through the property pages, spend a few minutes to grab some ideas and help to transform your home.