Owners of all nationalities place the highest importance on having access to the internet in their homes, with any internet access being more important than high-speed internet access. After the internet, the factors that owners consider essential varies by nationality. Greek, Italian and Portuguese owners all consider a balcony or terrace as essential, while American owners place higher importance on central air conditioning, and the Brits value access to a swimming pool (either shared or private).

Compared to renters, internet access still ranks as the most essential factor, but renters place less importance on this than owners. The next most important factors for renters are reserved parking, a patio or deck and a balcony or terrace, which over a quarter of all renters deem absolutely essential.

The chart below suggests that owners and renters are largely in line when it comes to amenities and features and are seeking a similar experience.

Owners vs renters: amenities & features

The importance renters place on certain amenities and features also varies by location. Renters in urban locations place the highest importance on air conditioning (followed by internet access) with 96% of urban renters deeming this important, compared to 51% of renters in rural locations.

Meanwhile, rural renters place larger emphasis on having a garden, with 79% of rural renters considering this important compared to 44% of urban renters. Urban renters also deem security features more important than those in rural locations, with 44% and 24% of renters respectively considering this feature important.

_{Read the articles within Report: Second Homes below.}