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Are Brits happy with their homes?

Posted 3 March 2016 by Helen Christie

More than half of Brits worry that a lack of money will stop them from ever getting their perfect home, a study has found.

Less than one in 10 homeowners currently consider their home to be perfect with 55% saying they have a long to-do list of improvements and changes they would like to get done.

Three-quarters worry they are never going to get their homes to a point where they are completely happy with them because of a lack of time, money and know-how. The study of 2,000 homeowners, found that the average home needs 10 improvements and DIY jobs, with owners estimating these will cost £18,038 to complete.

Top ten reasons why Brits feel their house will never be perfect

1. We’ll never have enough money

2. It needs professional work

3. There will always be something we want to do on our home

4. It’s an ongoing project

5. We don’t have the time

6. The things that need doing are too big/much for us to do

7. We can’t do what we want in our current home so would need to move

8. We don’t plan to stay here forever so it seems pointless trying to get it perfect

9. We’ve always got something else which is a bigger priority

10. We don’t have the motivation to do it anymore

Installing a new kitchen and bathroom, laying new carpets or flooring and building a conservatory or an extension are among the top improvements Brits want to do to their home before they will view it as complete. Painting and wallpapering, buying new furniture and laying decking or a patio in the garden are also among the outstanding jobs for the average British house.

John Ogilvie, Managing Director of Network VEKA, which commissioned the research, says: “All of us look forward to the day when our homes are exactly as we want them, but it seems there is a long way to go for some – involving plenty of money, dedicating hours of their spare time and perhaps a few DIY mishaps along the way.” 

While 36% reckon just a few minor jobs are needed to make their home perfect, 23% admit it is mostly major work preventing them from having a perfect abode. Painting rooms is the most common home improvement Brits want to do, followed by re-fitting the kitchen, laying new carpet and getting a new bathroom or toilet suite.

New furniture, landscaping or changing the garden, and converting the loft are also among the top 10. Other tasks on the perfect home wish-list include installing double glazing, fitting underfloor heating and adding an en suite bathroom or toilet. 

For some, their own partner is the problem, with 41% admitting they often argue with their other half about what they want to do to their home, whether to get a professional in or attempt it themselves, and which home improvement to prioritise. Other rows erupt over affordability of home improvements, wallpaper designs and what furniture to buy.

Some Brits still attempt DIY themselves​The study also found that a brave 15% of Brits attempt all DIY work themselves, with the average homeowner spending 14 days each year working on some kind of home improvement project. On top of that, over half spend an average of 10 hours a month looking at magazines and property sites in search of home inspiration.

In a study of 2,000 homeowners, 28% say they would need to hire a professional in order to do the things they want to their home, and 16% admit they always get a professional in, regardless of how big or small the job is. More than a fifth will call in a professional to put wallpaper up, while another 15% get decorators in instead of undertaking a paint-job themselves. John Ogilvie, from Network VEKA, adds: “Whether it’s big or small jobs, it’s clear that we’re a nation in need of some serious improvements at home.”

Top ten jobs the average Brit wants to do on their home

1. Paint a room/s

2. Refit the kitchen

3. Re-carpet

4. Refit the bathroom/toilet

5. Buy new furniture

6. Landscape or change the garden

7. Wallpaper a room/s

8. Build an extension

9. Convert the loft

10. Build a conservatory


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