Home Improvement Trends Report 2020

2. Bold isn’t always best for potential buyers

When it comes to selling your home, our research has surprisingly revealed some of the most on trend design features from the last few years could in fact make potential buyers less likely to purchase your property.

So, if you’re dressing your home for sale it’s probably best to avoid anything that’s too personal as it could make it harder for buyers to see themselves living there. For expert advice on how you can quickly and easily tone down any of these features to maximise your home’s value, see a range of expert tips here.

At the other end of the scale, these are the features that buyers look for the most when house hunting.

Interestingly, six of the top 15 are outside the home, with a lawned garden, security system, paved patio, outdoor lights, bifold doors and decking, all working to increase the number of potential buyers for a property. And, although some of the these might seem like bigger and more costly jobs to complete, there are clever and cost-effective ways to achieve similar looks for a fraction of the price.

Head to our cost guides and tips section to find out how to maximise your home’s value with minimal effort.

The 15 design features most likely to put buyers off

The 15 home improvements that attract the most buyers

3. Millennials are getting stuck into renovation to get onto the property ladder

Millennials are planning the most and biggest renovation
jobs in 2020 compared with all other age groups.

They’re also twice as likely as the average UK homeowner to tackle jobs themselves, like plastering, fitting a new kitchen, removing an internal wall and even building a driveway.

Compared with just 20 years ago, it now takes the average adult an extra eight years to be able to buy their first home.

So, one of the reasons for the renovation work could be that more millennials are finding cheaper properties in need of work to get onto the illusive property ladder – and rather than making do with woodchip wallpaper and questionable carpets, they’re getting stuck into DIY to create the home of their dreams.

4. More of us want to make our homes more eco-friendly

Awareness of climate change and the damage that’s being done to the environment is higher than ever in the UK. Many of us are already using less plastic, eating less meat, and recycling more, and now twice as many UK homeowners are planning to make their homes more eco-friendly in 2020 compared to 2019. And, with the Green Homes Grant announced in July 2020, that number looks set to soar.

5. Safety and security
are front of mind when it comes to home improvements

When looking at the jobs posted on Rated People that have
seen the biggest spikes in popularity in the last three years, safety and
security appear to be increasingly important for UK homeowners, with three of
the top ten being around protecting our homes.

Fire alarm installation is the job that’s seen the biggest spike in popularity – up by a massive 178%, CCTV installation isn’t far behind with a 134% increase, and the installation of security gates and bollards is just inside the top 10 with a 72% increase.

Other jobs in the top 15 are to do with decoration, including decorative ironmongery and metalwork which has seen a huge 174% surge, and bathroom design which has increased by 69%.

Surprisingly, pebble dashing has seen a 69% increase, as have pond and water features, with a 64% increase. Building flat pack furniture has also seen a spike in uptake, with an increase of 61% over the last three years.