People aged 65 or over are now prioritising electric car charging points while buying new homes, a new study has revealed.

The research conducted by McCarthy Stone found that the over-65s are after top spec home security systems and electric vehicle charging points.

The study said 39 per cent of the pensioners look for an electric car charging point when they move to a new property.

Department for Transport figures show there were 83 publicly provided charging points in Basingstoke and Deane on January 1 – up from 61 the year prior and 51 two years ago.

Basingstoke and Deane residents had also installed 1,028 at-home charging points through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme as of January 1 – a 137 per cent increase over the last two years, further Department for Transport figures outline.

The scheme gives applicants a 75 per cent grant towards the cost of installing the charging point up to £350.

There have also been 65 charging points installed at workplaces.

But with residents requiring "designated, private off-street parking" for the Homecharge Scheme, the SMMT has argued for more investment for those who only have on-street parking available.

Across the South East, 399 charging points have been fitted as a part of the On-Street Residential Scheme, to which local authorities can apply to fund installations.

A further 508 applications have been approved since April 2019, but installation remains incomplete.

The study by McCarthy Stones also found that pensioners want walk-in wardrobes (51 percent), wet rooms (49 percent), kitchen islands (43 percent), wine fridges (29 percent) and modern art on the walls (21 percent).

On the flip side, as many as 79 percent said fluffy toilet seat covers were old-hat, while 70 percent cannot stand avocado bathrooms suites, and 57 percent would rather have a fashionable blind than a net curtain on their window.

When it comes to tableware, 66 percent wouldn’t dream of using doilies, 61 percent would never lay out a lace tablecloth, and 69 percent wouldn’t be seen dead using a tea cosy.

And it’s also becoming increasingly unlikely that older Britons will have cheeky gnome statues adorning their gardens (47 percent), patterned carpets in their rooms (53 percent) and pebbledash walls on the outside of their homes (55 percent).

The study found 35 percent of those polled want a home full of houseplants, hanging pendant lights (12 percent), and a minimalist kitchen (29 percent).

While 9 percent would like on-trend industrial fixtures and fittings, 6 percent a home gym, and a further 6 percent a yoga practice area.

The study also found that the over-65s are not fans of flowery and patterned wallpaper (50 percent), traditional china figurines (48 percent) and shag pile carpets (34 percent).

They are also saying goodbye to flowery bed covers (35 percent), lavender soap (42 percent), and talcum powder (37 percent).

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