Brits to spend £4.5billion on DIY this Easter

Brits are planning to spend £4.5 billion on DIY this Easter break, which equates to £181.08 per household, according to research by The Co-operative Bank.

The research also highlights that people in London are planning to spend the most on home improvements (£200.22), followed by people in Wales (£190.38) and the South West (£158.03).

The findings reveal the rationale behind this planned DIY activity. Over a third of people are looking to carry out home improvements because they think it will add value to their house (29%). And over a quarter of people cannot afford to move house, so instead are looking to improve their existing property (28%)

Another common reason is boredom over the bank holiday (16%), with one in ten people also looking to make their property greener (13%) or make improvements in anticipation of expanding their family (9%).

The research shows that gardens will be the most common area to undergo a refresh (18%), followed by the lounge (18%) and the main bedroom (17%).

When looking at specific activity, the research also highlights that the most popular DIY activity this Easter is painting (33%), followed closely by gardening (29%) and buying new furnishings for their home (12%).

The research also highlights that the average household will spend £797.86 over a year on traditional home improvements, with a quarter of households (25%) also planning ‘green' improvements this year.

Terry Jordan, Head of Mortgages at The Co-operative Bank, comments, "In the current economic climate with the slowdown in the property market, people are not moving house as much as before. Instead the research clearly shows that people are looking to make improvements to their existing homes in order to add value and better their living space."