Brits give existing homes a facelift as moving costs soar

Home improvement brands are being urged to up their game on the back of a new study which reveals that both homeowners and renters are adapting their current home to meet their changing needs instead of moving up – or down – the property ladder.

With flexible working arrangements and boomerang kids being the two main factors driving DIY projects, over two thirds of families have remodelled their home to adapt to their evolving lifestyles.

The Way We Live Now 2025 report, from DIY retailer B&Q, has highlighted that 40% of homeowners and 23% of renters have radically reimagined the space in their homes, or plan to in the future, to accommodate changing household needs – with 25% of homeowners carrying out major building works such as a side return or an extension.

The report found two thirds of homeowners and nearly half of renters consider their current home their ‘forever home’. While some have chosen this, others face financial barriers.

Struggling to save for a deposit (49%), inability to get a decent mortgage based on earnings (42%) and no “bank of Mum and Dad” (28%) are the three key barriers to home ownership.

As a result, nearly half (46%) of families with adult children have delayed downsizing to provide continued support, highlighting a generational shift in homeownership dynamics.

However, the ‘move to improve’ approach is waning – the research found that the vast majority of the nation are satisfied with their homes (73%), with fewer than one in 10 feeling actively dissatisfied.

The favourable relationship people have with their homes is echoed in reasons for staying put long term. While 19% feel financially trapped, the rest are planning to stay for positive reasons, with 58% saying they love their home.

UK consumers are also feeling empowered to flex their DIY skills with 59% feeling more knowledgeable about DIY than they did five years ago and 73% saying they are a capable DIYer.

B&Q chief executive Graham Bell said: “It’s great to see that more people are building deeper connections with their homes, and choosing to love and not list them. They’re opting to stay where they are and embrace the idea of transforming and creating a home for life.

“We’re seeing homeowners have more confidence to undertake radical transformations – bedrooms being moved downstairs, garden rooms becoming annexes with separate entrances, walls going up, and others coming down – whether it’s to accommodate a need driven by living alone, or with immediate or extended family.”