Brits lie to sound posher

Posted: 04 May 2006 09:45:26 GMT

The vast majority of people in the UK admit to lying about where they live in order to make their home sound more exclusive.

In a remarkably revealing survey, Norwich Union Direct has found that home location now takes priority over the house itself.

Three in every five Brits would lie about their address to sound a little more upmarket, while 77 per cent say that living in a more exclusive neighbourhood is more desirable than owning the "dream home".

Property psychologist Jon Gowlland has suggested that the glut of DIY programmes on television has meant that most people are now aware that they can transform interior decor without a huge amount of effort.

"The condition of a property is a movable feast but location is a fixed variable," he added.

House Doctor Ann Maurice has indicated that the postcode has become the new class system in the UK and she stresses that paying more attention to location is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Although the snobbery associated with location status may seem fickle, it could reap rewards when asserting your social standing or adding value to your property," she said.


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