Detached still number one

The number of loans taken out by N&P customers on detached properties remained as high in 2006 as 2005, with the figure increasing by just under 1 per cent to 35.63 per cent. The popularity of semi-detached homes dropped slightly, with a reduction of just under 2 per cent to 30.41 per cent of total loans. Terraced homes remain in third position, with just over a quarter of all loans taken out for terraces.

Martin Bell, head of residential lending at N&P, said: "Customers do look on their home as 'their castle' and prefer the greater privacy that a detached property offers, along with the benefits of perhaps a bigger garden and fewer problems with noisy neighbours."