Britons spend weekends trying to ‘out-do’ the neighbours

Permalink: Britons spend weekends trying to ‘out-do’ the neighbours
by Kay Murchie

A survey by fish4homes.co.uk, which polled over 1,000 homeowners, has established that Britons are so obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses that 51% of them spend Sunday afternoons sprucing up the front of their homes despite 20% of them reluctant to carry out this work.

The survey showed that these people are more concerned about out-doing their neighbours than they are with safeguarding their house prices.

Mark Fitzgerald-Cooke of fish4homes said it is good to see that the UK is a nation of home enthusiasts and there is healthy competition between neighbours. However, people must make sure that they invest time and money in the interior as well as the exterior to get the most out of their property in the long-term.

Mr Fitzgerald-Cooke added that first impressions are important when potential buyers view your property from the outside but once they step inside the door, it is vital that they are faced with an interior that’s in great shape to help secure the sale.

The survey also discovered that women are likely to deal with problems such as fixing broken tiles, re-painting doors and scrubbing windows. Men are most likely to deal with cutting hedges, re-planting flower beds and cleaning front walls showing a role reversal.

Across the region, the study showed that 75% of homeowners in London spend just half an hour each week tending to their house exterior while Scots spend 2 hours each week. Homeowners in Newcastle are most concerned about having a perfect pathway leading up their home while property owners in Wales enjoy gardening.