Renovation 'gaining in popularity'

Home owners are doing more to renovate their properties in the credit crunch, it has been stated.

Jason Orme, editor of self build publication Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine said this trend has become apparent since the start of the credit crunch because people are looking to ways of improving their living space without moving house.

Stating that renovation does get more popular in housing market downturns, Mr Orme commented that the sort of people who used to move up the ladder every couple of years "are willing now to invest a bit more in the long-term of their house".

Underfloor heating is an example of the sort of measure renovators will undertake with the longer term in mind, he added.

Those who undertake DIY work may wish to seek advice on how to go about it before they commence, in order to avoid costly errors.

Such mistakes cost £1.5 billion to fix last year, according to figures from Zurich insurance.