Please note: We have mainly written about England, as that is the country within the UK where our students live. We would be very happy for schools and visitors to send us information we can add to our website on Wales and Scotland.

Most people in England live in urban areas. Towns and cities are spreading into their surrounding environment to cope with the increase populations. In England, an average of 7,000 hectares of farmland, countryside and green space were converted to urban use every year between 1985 and 1998. This is almost the equivalent size of 9,600 international football pitches!

This house is over 600 years old

Who owns houses in England?

More people are buying their own homes than in the past. About two thirds of the people in England and the rest of Britain either own, or are in the process of buying, their own home. Most others live in houses or flats that they rent from a private landlord, the local council, or housing association.

People buying their property almost always pay for it with a special loan called a mortgage, which they must repay, with interest, over a long period of time, usually 25 years.

What are houses in England like?

Most houses in England are made of stone or brick from the local area where the houses are built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary across the country.

Types of houses in England

England has many types of homes. In the large cities, people often live in apartments, which are called flats. In most towns, there are streets of houses joined together in long rows. They are called terraced houses.

The main types of houses in England are:

• Detached (a house not joined to another house)
• Semi-detached (two houses joined together)
• Terrace (several houses joined together)
• Flats (apartments)

Photos of the different types of houses

Census 2001: Housing

The most popular type of home in England is semi-detached (more than 27% of all homes), closely followed by detached then terraced.

Cost of Houses

A big problem in England is the rising cost of houses. In 1989 first-time buyers paid an average of around £40,000, in 2001 this had more than doubled to £85,000 and in 2006 to £151,565.

The cost of housing in England has increased much faster than people's wages making it impossible for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder unless they are in especially well-paid jobs, are able to call upon rich relatives or are prepared to buy jointly with friends.

2003

Average wage per year: £20,000
Average house price: over £120,000.

2007

Average wage per year: £23,244
Average house price: £184,924

Chartwell House - Winston Churchill once lived here