House Proud South West Spend £22,851 Getting the Perfect Home
A poll of UK house renovators has revealed that those in the South West spend an average £22,851 on achieving the perfect home.
People living in the region have splashed out, with 14% splurging up to £35,000 to make their houses look their best.
And an overwhelming 88% said having an ideal place to live has become more important than ever during the Covid pandemic.
Residents in the region take an average four years to get their property up to scratch, with 35% of those in the South West thinking they’re on their way to achieving their perfect home and 18% admitting they’ve still got another four or five years to go.
The survey of 2,000 homeowners from leading glass specialist, Pilkington United Kingdom, also found that top of the renovations list in the South West is installing a new bathroom – chosen by 58%, followed by painting the walls 54%, and installing double or triple glazed windows (40%).
Having lots of natural light was very important for 97% of those polled - especially in the living room (76%) and kitchen (55%), with 51% considering installing double or triple glazed windows an essential.
Another 58% said it was having a garden that really made their home perfect.
But despite all of their these amazing efforts, 61% say they’re still planning another move in future.
The study also revealed where those in the South West take their home inspo - with 14% enjoying interiors magazines and 15% looking to the décor of their friends’ houses.
Julia Berkin, Brand & Communications Manager at Pilkington United Kingdom, said: “The research shows how important our homes are - and how time and money those in the South West are prepared to spend to achieve perfection, especially during this time of Covid.
“It’s interesting to see how people are adapting their homes, especially given the amount of time we’re spending in them currently while they double up as workspaces.”
But 16% said not being able to find decent tradesmen was one of the barriers to creating the perfect home, while 21% blamed lack of cash.
Top 30 things UK homeowners did to achieve their perfect home:
1. Re-painted interior rooms
2. Installed a new bathroom
3. A new front door
4. Re-tiled the bathroom
5. Got rid of old wall paper
6. Changed the lighting
7. Installed new windows
8. Installed double glazed windows
9. Landscaped garden
10. A new heating system
11. New flooring throughout the house
12. Re-painted the exterior of the house
13. New interior doors
14. Enclosed the garden for privacy
15. Built an extension
16. Installed a fire place / wood burner
17. Converted a bedroom to a home office
18. Created an open plan kitchen/diner
19. Installed a greenhouse / potting shed
20. Knocked down an interior wall to open up space
21. Added decking to the garden
22. Built a conservatory/orangery
23. Added a utility room separate from the kitchen
24. Installed extra windows for more natural light
25. Loft conversion
26. Added Velux skylight windows
27. Exposed the natural floorboards
28. Added an en-suite
29. Converted the garage to a room
30. Added a rainforest style shower