DIY 'popular among homeowners'

DIY is becoming an increasingly popular pastime with UK homeowners, with more people carrying out work on their homes themselves than in the past.

As figures continue to show a significant slowdown in the British property market, property owners are looking to boost the value of homes with DIY and young people and first-time buyers are becoming the most likely groups to carry out improvements.

Figures from lender Halifax show that more than one in four homeowners (28 per cent) are planning to carry out home improvements specifically to add value to their properties over the next 12 months, with 44 per cent of those people expecting enhancements to add up to £5,000 to the value of their homes.

Russell Galley, Halifax head of mainstream mortgages, explained: "In the current market, homeowners can inject value into their homes by undertaking the right home improvements. Carrying out work on your home can be rewarding but costly to correct if not executed properly."

The annual Halifax Home Improvement Survey states that the most popular home improvements in the UK are currently redecorating (71 per cent), garden improvements (35 per cent), new furnishings (33 per cent), new carpets (25 per cent), laminate/wood flooring (22 per cent) and a new bathroom (21 per cent).

Alliance & Leicester Personal Loans conducted a poll that found British homeowners are becoming more enthusiastic about DIY as a result of television programmes, with 73 per cent of Britons claiming to have gained inspiration for home improvements from TV shows.


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