Most loved and loathed home improvements revealed

New research from Anglian Home Improvements polled over 2,000 current homeowners, including those who are planning to buy or sell in the future to identify what are the most loved and loathed home improvements.

The prospect of adding monetary value to the home was the top reason for making changes, as cited by nearly half of homeowners polled (47%). A third of homeowners stated that they opted to make home improvements as it was more cost effective than moving to a new property.

The survey has shown that the trend for open-plan living is on the way out, as Britons are looking more for clear function from their leisure spaces. Improving the indoor-outdoor flow was named the most-loved home improvement trend, through features such as conservatories and bi-fold doors. The option of having a separate dining room came in second place, as selected by 56% of respondents, and a TV/music/cinema room was the third favourite (44%).

On the other end of the spectrum, 70s favourite pebble dashing topped the list of most-loathed home improvements, chosen by 52% of people, followed by crazy paving at 43%, showing how important the first impression of the exterior is.

Melanie McDonald, head of PR and brand marketing at Anglian Home Improvements, said: “The past 50 years have brought about great advancements in the home but it’s clear from this research some trends have more enduring appeal than others.

“Rising house prices and high deposits mean buyers have less cash on hand available to make alterations to their new home when they move in. Features like coloured bathroom suites that may not have previously been a deal breaker could put someone off buying your property, especially if there is additional work to be done.”

Most loved home improvements

Indoor-outdoor flow (58%)

Separate dining room (56%)

TV/music/cinema room (44%)

Wet room (43%)

Decking (40%)

Dressing room (39%) and open-plan living (39%)

Gym/exercise area (25%)

Coloured bathroom suite (20%)

Crazy paving (15%)

Most loathed home improvements

Pebble dashing (52%)

Crazy paving (43%)

Coloured bathroom suites (42%)

Gym/exercise area (26%)

Decking (23%)

Open plan living (22%)

Wet room (16%)

TV/music/cinema room (14%)

Dressing room (11%)

Indoor-outdoor flow (7%) and separate dining room (7%)