West Sussex residents' most desired style of home is revealed '“ and it might not be the one you think...

An online competition has revealed the style of home most desired by West Sussex residents.

Although the results were surprisingly close, a farmhouse was the style of home most frequently named by respondents.

Although research shows that 62 per cent of people in the UK dream of a home by the sea, in West Sussex it seems that a farmhouse or country cottage is even more popular than a beach house.

Chichester estate agent Tod Anstee Hancock asked its online audience to name their dream property style to enter into a competition to win gift vouchers for Chichester Festival Theatre.

The results revealed the top homes favoured by West Sussex residents with 24 per cent saying they preferred a farmhouse, closely followed by 23 per cent choosing a beach house and 21 per cent naming a country cottage.

Georgian homes were the most desired homes for 14 per cent of respondents while only nine per cent chose a Victorian or modern style home.

While the responses reveal a lifestyle aspiration for rural or waterside living, neither farmhouses nor beach houses are particularly easy to come by due to scarcity of the former and affordability of the latter.

According to research conducted this summer, houses on the coast command a hefty premium of 77 per cent.

People hoping to move to their dream home in West Sussex would do best to set their sights on a country cottage or a modern home, both styles of home which are more widely available for sale in West Sussex than either beach houses or farmhouses.

Tod Anstee Hancock ran the competition on its Facebook page during November and Juliet Thompson, from Bognor Regis, was picked at random as the winner.

Juliet dreamed of a beach house, and while she may need to wait for her dream home, in the meantime she was thrilled to have won £50 of gift vouchers for Chichester Festival Theatre.

Competition winner Juliet Thompson

Modern Chichester home in quiet Summersdale area close to the South Downs

Versatile Bognor Regis family home close to Rose Green infant and junior schools

These charming renovated cottages near Itchenor date back to 18th century