Homeowners are refusing to sacrifice property improvements despite the cost-of-living crisis – by turning to small jobs for a refresh.
A study of 2,000 adults, who own a home, found almost half (46%) intend to make changes to their home this year – but three in five are opting for smaller jobs over big renovations.
And 23% admitted they don’t want to give up on making home updates, despite the rise in costs.
The main reasons for this include updating their home’s style (33%), adding value to the property (25%), and saving money (23%).
Others want to test out styles before making big changes (17%), while 18% want to stay motivated by concentrating on small jobs.
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Hill Street Studios/Getty Images)But 46% have postponed larger renovations this year, due to having less funds than planned (42%) or facing other financial priorities (34%).
Others have been stopped from carrying out larger plans by rising utility bills (27%) and family expenses (21%).
It also emerged the top “tweakments” homeowners are undertaking included painting interior walls (25%), adding new carpet (18%), and painting the fence (17%).
Wallpapering (16%), hanging curtains or blinds (14%), and adding a gallery wall (10%) are also among the popular small jobs.
Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade, which commissioned the research, said: “Whether it’s giving a living room a new lease of life with a lick of paint, or freshening up a bathroom by re-grouting tiles, keeping up with smaller and more affordable improvements means we can continue to keep our homes in top shape.
“These small changes are something we expect to see throughout 2022, as homeowners continue to navigate the rising costs of living and save up for larger home improvements.”
It also emerged homeowners have already spent an average of £2,053 this year – and expect to spend a further £2,413 in the next 12 months.
More than three-quarters (78%) still hope to undertake larger renovations in the next five years – with the bathroom (22%), kitchen (21%), and garden (19%) top priorities.
And one in four (24%) can’t imagine not doing any work in their home for a period of time – with the average homeowner only going eight months in their current property without making any changes to it.
Mike Fairman added: “With more than half (55%) intending to tackle big renovation projects themselves, we would encourage homeowners to not be tempted to take any short-cuts, and to turn to only reputable and vetted experts to support in any home improvement changes.”
TOP 20 SMALL JOBS HOMEOWNERS ARE DOING THIS YEAR:
- Paint walls
- New carpet
- Paint fence
- Paint ceilings
- Wallpapering
- Paint skirting boards
- New light fitting
- Re-grout/replace bathroom tiles
- Hang curtains/blinds
- Paint/oil interior doors
- Paint a shed
- Paint stairs
- New plug sockets
- New hard flooring
- New front door
- Update kitchen sink
- Replace kitchen worktops
- Hang shelves
- Change/update doorknobs
- Paint/upcycle garden furniture
