Nearly half of homeowners plan to do DIY on homes this year - despite cost of living

dailystar.co.uk:

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.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.