Research shows Britons are looking closely at environmentally-friendly features
Research by the Nationwide Building Society shows that 82% of Britons would be more inclined to purchase a house with features such as solar panels, which are kind to the environment.

The importance of environmentally-friendly features is second to the 94% of homeownwers who wish to live in a nice area.

In regional terms, Britons based in the north-east were found to be the most likely to opt for homes with eco-friendly features.

Only last week, Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly provided a boost to environmentally-friendly additions to the home with proposed changes to the law for installation of home energy improvement products.

Her main proposal is that household micro-generation devices such as wind turbines, solar panels and ground source heat pumps would no longer require planning permission.