SPLITTING up with your partner can herald a new era, especially as far as property is concerned. Paul Hogarth of Knight Frank explains more.

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It's a sad fact that the New Year brings a barrage of divorce proceedings – Relate, the UK's relationship support provider, receives 50 per cent more calls over the festive period and, according to insidedivorce.com, this time of year is the busiest time for divorce lawyers.

So, does this mean England is moving towards being a nation of singletons? Last year, the Government revealed that the number of new households is projected to rise by 223,000 each year, just over 72,000 of which will be in London and the South East.

This is mainly due to the growth in single person households brought on by people choosing to stay single for longer, an ageing population and, of course, divorce.

It has been well documented that there is a need to build more homes to meet this surge in households, but it's not only volume that needs to be considered – a change in the design and style of property to suit the changing demands of single parent households in particular, is also required.

Developers must consider designing flexible homes to suit divorcees with children, the over 60s who are downsizing, and those wanting to lead a bachelor lifestyle into their 30s.

If you're used to living in a nice home with your partner and kids, the onset of "the big D" doesn't mean you want to compromise too much when it comes to moving out. You may have to move to a smaller home, but it doesn't have to be less desirable.

Two and three-bedroom flats and houses on new developments almost always have an en suite to the master bedroom, and a separate bathroom for the kids, grandchildren or guests, and interior layouts designed to suit people who want to work from home, entertain, or just relax, with all the mod-cons to meet this changing demographic.

Of course, a new home offers lots of perks to a new singleton; firstly the cash incentives – a lot of developers offer to pay your stamp duty, deposit, or even help towards your mortgage payments.

Then there are the fixtures and fittings – most new homes come with in-built cookers, microwaves, washing machines and dryers, and if you ask, you can probably get carpets and curtains thrown in at a reduced price, too.

Then there's the lower running costs; a new home is approximately four times more energy efficient than an old one, with well insulated walls and double glazing as standard in many new homes.

So if you find yourself suddenly single, whether it's through choice or not, remember that there's probably a brand new home around the corner designed just for you.

Paul Hogarth is partner and head of new homes sales for Knight Frank in the South East. Call 01483 564660.