Remember when anyone and everyone who ever got restless about their life thought of running a B&B or taking up farming? A recent Real Homes survey of 909 people points to an interesting shift in the nation's perceptions of an ideal alternative lifestyle.
Asked which live-in job they'd be most likely to consider, 31 per cent found living in a lighthouse or meteorological station appealing, despite the realities of the job involving long periods of solitude. A further 16 per cent would like to give house sitting or live-in pet sitting a go, most likely inspired by platforms such as Trusted House Sitters.
Somewhat surprisingly, the more obvious options – living on a farm and running a B&B – no longer seem to hold much appeal, gaining only 7 per cent of votes each. These once-popular live-in occupations have no doubt lost their allure over time as the practical and financial hardships of these lifestyles have been extensively covered in the media. Farming in particular is a hard life – and a 24/7 job – which most of us are no longer prepared to do, although those who do fully commit to living on a farm report being very happy with their lifestyle choice.
A tiny proportion – 3 per cent – of our respondents chose to give more idiosyncratic answers to the question of what live-in occupations they'd like to try out, with several willing to run a live-in bookshop, a few more dreaming of becoming writers, and one person wishing they could live on a space station. Vive la difference!
