Homebuyers are looking for more energy efficient and top environmental standards when looking at newly-built homes.

According to a recent study by YouGov for the New Homes Marketing Board (NHMB), the ‘green factor’ has climbed into the top three on the list of criteria that people would set for buying a new home, overtaking a home’s convenient location and value-for-money.

David Pretty, Chairman of the NHMB, said: “People now increasingly understand that almost all new homes are built to the latest mainstream environmental standards and are vastly more energy-efficent, and cheaper to run than second-hand homes.”

The NHMB’s YouGov survey asked respondents to select features they considered most important if they were buying a newly-built home. At 41 per cent, the category combining energy efficiency and high environmental standards was the third most important attribute chosen.

The highest, at 53 per cent, was provision of a garden or outdoor space, and second (47 per cent) was a garage or private off-street parking.