Can Britons fix it? Yes we can
British to spend £11.6 billion on home improvements
London, 3 September 2010 - Britain is experiencing a ‘Do It Yourself’ (DIY) revival with householders intending to spend £11.6 billion on home improvements between now and December according to new research out today (1).
The GfK NOP Home Improvement Monitor found that around one in three households (2) are planning DIY over the next six months and will splash out £1,253 each in total. This is an increase of 27 per cent – or an extra £142 per project – compared to the first half of the year (3).
The majority of work will be completed without the help of a tradesperson with seven in 10 households intending to do it themselves. The only region where this differs is in London where a third (4) of urban householders will hire a contractor to ‘Do It For Me’ (DIFM).
Caroline Gooding, home markets expert at GfK NOP, said: "The recession could actually prove to be a watershed moment for the DIY market as more people prefer to tackle home improvements themselves to cut costs. There is a real opportunity to tap into the frugal mood of the nation, helping customers maintain their home while still saving money.”
A hard core of enthusiasts is driving the DIY resurgence. Around three in five households who undertook a project between January and June plan on taking on more in the second half of the year (5).
Interior decorating is by far the most popular project as Britons focus on improving rather than moving due to the sluggish housing market. Around a quarter of households will carry out some form of refresh, such as wallpapering, painting or decorating, spending about £415 each over the coming months (6). Brits are least likely to carry out large-scale projects such as a conversion, extension or electrical work (7).
Over the previous six months the Home Improvement Monitor found that 9.6 million households completed a DIY project. Other key findings include:
- The average household spent £989 on DIY projects
- The average cost of a project was £487
- The average household carried out two DIY projects
- Interior decorating was the most prolific type of project undertaken by 5.3 million households
About the survey
The Home Improvement Monitor is conducted by GfK NOP Research Panels and is based on 6,885 online interviews completed between 12 and 29 July 2010.
1. 9.3 million households intend to spend on average £1,253 on DIY projects between July and December 2010, equalling £11.65 billion.
2. There are 25.6 million households in Great Britain and 9.3 million households intend to complete a DIY project between July and December 2010.
3. 9.6 million households spent £989 on average on DIY projects completed between January and June 2010. 9.3 million households intend to spend on average £1,253 on DIY projects between July and December 2010. This equates to an increase in average project spend of 27 per cent.
4. 37 per cent of Londoners surveyed intend to complete a home improvement by getting a contractor in to ‘Do It For Me’.
5. 61 per cent of households that undertook a DIY project between January and June 2010 also plan on carrying out a DIY project between July and December 2010.
6. 23 per cent of households intend to complete an "interior wallpapering, painting, decorating” project between July and December 2010.
7. 1 per cent of households intend to complete a "conversion, extension or electrical work” between July and December 2010.
Julia Beaver