People looking for a flat to rent will compromise on size and appearance if it means they can live in their preferred area, according to new research by housing platform Pararius.

Almost 90% of the 1,400 people polled said they would accept a smaller or less-attractive home if they could live in their ideal location.

Top of the list of concerns home hunters have is the neighbourhood, followed by local amenities and travelling time to work, the research showed.

Nine out of 10 said they were not willing to travel for more than one hour to get to work. On average the Dutch commute for around 30 minutes.

‘Most people are being forced to make concessions, particularly in the cities,’ Pararius director Jasper de Groot said.

Pararius has now launched a smart map function to its housing platform which shows local amenities, schools and shops and allows users to set a maximum commute time into their preferences.

‘These means they get more insight into their preferred areas and will get to see homes in locations they might not have considered,’ De Groot said.