Britons spend the most in Europe on maintaining and cleaning their homes, a new report from Datamonitor reveals. 

Not only do the British pay more than most other Europeans for their homes, they also spend more on home hygiene products and are more likely to renovate their kitchens and bathroom within a five year timeframe

Home sweet home

House prices across the UK and much of the West have seen sustained high growth for a number of years and the UK now ranks amongst some of the highest property prices in the world. 

Property has become consumers’ biggest single asset, and it means that Britons are more willing to spend money on renovating their houses. 

“This rise in property prices is significant.  Many consumers, when they see their major asset appreciating in value, tend to feel richer, and as a result are more likely to spend their extra cash on it,” said Nick Beevors, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor and author of the report. 

The kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms more likely to get a facelift. British consumers renovate their kitchens and bathrooms more often than their European counterparts, according to the report.

What is more, 15% and 14% of Brits profess to renovate their kitchen and bathroom respectively every 1 to 2 years.

Beevors commented, “People enrich their self image through their homes. The social phenomenon of ‘existential consumption’ - whereby consumers build their self identities through what they consume or own - is highly relevant to how people choose and reside in their homes.”  

Clean living

In 2006 British consumers shelled out £1.4bn on home hygiene products, outstripping by far France (£901m) and Germany (£862m). The average UK consumer spent £24 on cleaning their home; double that of German, Swedish and Italian consumers. 

Home hygiene spend is growing as consumers seek more effective and convenient products to preserve the quality of their household living environment.

Cleaning most commonly occurs once a week.  Just under 30% of UK consumers clean their house once a week, and a quarter 2-3 times a week.  Still household chores are largely disliked, with a quarter of consumers finding housework boring.  The least preferred household chores were ironing and oven cleaning.

Consumers increasingly see their homes as a refuge from the outside world.  This phenomenon often referred as ‘cocooning’ involves shutting oneself off from the rest of the world in a comfortable and secure place to have time to think and relax.

“Consumers struggle to come to terms with growing ambiguity and change, and with the growing information and opportunities technology has brought as close as the nearest hotspot,” commented Beevors.  “They are finding new ways to create and exercise their own control, and cocooning is one solution.” 

“Because of their desire to shelter themselves from the ‘harsh realities’ of the modern world, consumers are investing in making their homes fun, relaxing, satisfying places to spend time,” he concludes.