Home Pride Index 2023

£50 billion spent on home improvements in last 12 months despite cost of living

Checkatrade’s latest Home Pride Index has revealed that British homeowners have refused to sacrifice home improvements, spending a collective £50.6 billion¹ in the last 12 months.

Despite the tumultuous year, our love for our homes remained, with over half of homeowners (55%) polled² proud of their home in comparison to 49% 12 months ago – a sign of how the current cost of living environment is making us appreciate what we have more than ever before.

In the latest Home Pride Index, Checkatrade explores how we continued to shake off lockdown living and embraced a hybrid work lifestyle. While the economic uncertainty saw us invest in smaller, affordable ways such as painting walls and ceilings (29%) and getting new soft furnishings (26%) to freshen up our spaces.

Home investment

In a year that saw rising mortgage costs and the highest inflation rate in 30 years, turning our attention to improving our homes seemed more appealing than ever.

However, increased prices of raw materials, supply chain delays and shortage of available tradespeople also meant that homeowners were spending more on projects than previously.

Overall, homeowners around the country spent on average £3,375 on home improvements – £669 more than in 2021. This rises to £5,940 for homeowners from Glasgow.

Improving or renovating the kitchen saw homeowners spend on average £1,106 which was more than any other room. However, it was loft installations which saw the biggest spike in investment compared to 2021 with an increase of 432%³.

Top reasons for doing work to the home include spending more time there, wanting to improve surroundings (32%), fixing wear and tear (30%) and being more efficient in response to the energy crisis (23%).

Mike Fairman, CEO at Checkatrade said,

“Homeowners are more resilient than ever, not letting the cost-of-living deter them from home improvement projects. With the current uncertainty of the housing market, increased investments in spaces like lofts suggest homeowners are looking to make the most of what they have versus selling up and purchasing another property, and are seeking support from experienced tradespeople to help.”

Elevating the everyday

But even though Brits invested more in their homes in the past year, over six in ten (61%) admitted they spent less money on their home than they would have liked because of the cost-of-living crisis.

They instead pivoted to smaller, more affordable changes to refresh their living spaces, including painting walls and ceilings (29%), redecorating the living room (26%) and getting new soft furnishings (26%).

Most popular changes made at home in 2022:

1. Painting walls/ceilings – 29%
2. Redecorated the living room – 26%
3. New cushions and soft furnishings – 26%
4. Redecorated a bedroom – 24%
5. Repainting the shed/fencing – 23%
6. Gave the bathroom a makeover – 22%
7. Purchased new furniture – 22%
8. Revamping the garden – 22%
9. Installed new windows – 21%
10. Building flatpack furniture – 21%

House proud nation

Homeowners from Newcastle, Southampton and Glasgow are the most house proud than any other city⁴ – with Leeds coming in last.

The Scottish city also spent the most time tidying their property – five hours and 43 minutes each week – and used the most tradespeople with a total of seven.

Newcastle took the lead for having the lowest number of unfinished DIY jobs in their home compared to the previous year.

London moved from being the second most house-proud city in 2021 to sixth position in 2022, while Brighton and Hove, which was previously in joint seventh place with Southampton, fell to fifteenth.

Mike Fairman, CEO at Checkatrade adds,

‘’It’s indisputable that a house is more than a home, and the nation’s pride in where they live remains despite the numerous challenges faced over the year.

Whether it’s injecting colour into the living room, undertaking a loft conversion or reducing its carbon footprint, taking care of your home can help your home take care of you.

The nation’s growing focus on making smaller, everyday changes to give spaces a refresh is set to continue throughout 2023 and we cannot wait to see what new (and old) trends this year brings.’’

Notes to editors

¹£50.6 billion figure based on 15 million households owning their home in the UK (source: The English Housing Survey 2018-2019)
²2,597 British homeowners were surveyed online between 20th December 2022 – 4th January 2023 and 6^th-9^th January 2023 by OnePoll

³

⁴Top 20 most house-proud cities:

1. Newcastle – 88 points  
2. Southampton – 82 points 
3. Glasgow – 80 points 
4. Wrexham – 74 points 
5. Sheffield – 72 points 
6. London – 70 points 
7. York – 68 points 
8. Liverpool – 65.5 points 
9. Manchester – 65 points 
10. Cardiff – 62 points 
11. Cambridge – 54 / Leicester – 54 points 
12. Belfast – 51 points 
13. Plymouth – 50 points 
14. Bristol – 48 points 
15. Brighton & Hove – 47.5 points 
16. Wolverhampton – 47 points 
17. Edinburgh – 46 points 
18. Chelmsford – 43 points 
19. Norwich – 41 points 
20. Leeds – 29 points 

To determine how house proud the cities polled are, each location was awarded points based on the responses from those residing in those areas. 15 points were given for the highest average total, 14 for the second highest, 13 for the third highest and so on – right through to one point for the lowest. This is with the exception of the number of DIY jobs left on to do lists where 15 points were awarded to the lowest average figure.

MONEY SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS AND RENOVATIONS
Highest: Glasgow £5940
Lowest: Leeds £1697

PROPORTION OF RESPONDENTS WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE HOUSE-PROUD:
Highest: Sheffield 70 per cent
Lowest: Plymouth 45 per cent

TIME SPENT CLEANING/TIDYING THE HOME PER WEEK:
Highest: Glasgow 5 hours 43 minutes
Lowest: Coventry 3 hours

NUMBER OF TRADESPEOPLE USED PER HOME ON AVERAGE:
Highest: Glasgow 7
Lowest: Norwich 3

PROPORTION OF HOMES WHO HAVE FEWER DIY JOBS LEFT TO DO THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR:
Highest: Newcastle 9
Lowest: Leeds 1