Newcastle and Southampton top list of UK’s most house-proud cities
An annual survey of homeowners has ranked the most house-proud cities in the UK – with Newcastle, Southampton, and Glasgow coming out on top.
The research awarded points to each city based on factors such as money spent on renovations and improvements, time spent tidying the home, and how many respondents in each city consider themselves to be house-proud.
Newcastle topped the list with 88 points, and also boasted the lowest number of homes with unfinished DIY jobs left to complete, compared to the previous year.
Southampton scored 82 points on the house-proud scale, and Glasgow came in third place with 80 points – but took the lead for most money spent on improving or renovating its homes, with a total of £5,940 spent.
In fact, despite the current cost-of-living crisis, the national average spend on home improvements increased overall by £669 from 2021, to a total £3,375.
Wrexham and Sheffield rounded out the top five most house-proud cities, with 74 points and 72 points respectively – although Sheffield had the highest number of residents who consider themselves house-proud (70%).
This is compared with Plymouth, where just 45% of residents feel proud of their abode – resulting in the city ranking thirteenth place, with just 50 points.
(Image: George Clerk/Getty Images)
The research, of 2,597 homeowners around the UK, was commissioned by Checkatrade as part of its third annual Home Pride Index report, which found 55% of homeowners now claim they are “house-proud’’, compared to 49% 12 months ago.
London moved from being the second most house-proud city in 2021, to sixth position in 2022 – while Brighton and Hove, which was previously in joint seventh place with Southampton, fell to fifteenth.
And Oxford, which topped the list in 2021, was nowhere to be found in the top 20 list for 2022.
Mike Fairman, CEO at Checkatrade said: “Homeowners are more resilient than ever, not letting the cost-of-living deter them from home improvement projects.
“With the current uncertainty of the housing market, increased investments in spaces like lofts suggest homeowners are looking to make the most of what they have versus selling up and purchasing another property, and are seeking support from experienced tradespeople to help.”
The research also found homeowners polled, via OnePoll, spent more money improving or renovating their kitchen than any other room – an average of £1,106.
However, loft installations saw the biggest spike in investment compared to the previous year, with an increase of 432% – from an average of £153 in 2021, to £814 in 2022.
(Image: SWNS)
Top reasons for doing work to the home were due to spending more time there and wanting to improve the surroundings (32%), fixing wear and tear (30%), and being more efficient in response to the energy crisis (23%).
But even though people invested more in their homes in the past year, 61% spent less than they would have liked because of the cost-of-living crisis.
They instead pivoted to smaller, more affordable changes to refresh their living spaces – including painting walls and ceilings (29%), redecorating the living room (26%), and getting new soft furnishings (26%).
Mike Fairman added: “It’s indisputable that a house is more than a home, and the nation’s pride in where they live remains, despite the numerous challenges faced over the year.
“Whether it’s injecting colour into the living room, undertaking a loft conversion, or reducing its carbon footprint, taking care of your home can help your home take care of you.
“The nation’s growing focus on making smaller, everyday changes to give spaces a refresh is set to continue throughout 2023, and we cannot wait to see what new – and old – trends this year brings.”
UK’s MOST HOUSE-PROUD CITIES:
- Newcastle – 88 points
- Southampton – 82 points
- Glasgow – 80 points
- Wrexham – 74 points
- Sheffield – 72 points
- London – 70 points
- York – 60 points
- Liverpool – 65.5 points
- Manchester – 65 points
- Cardiff – 62 points
- Cambridge/Leicester – 54 points each
- Belfast – 51 points
- Plymouth – 50 points
- Bristol – 48 points
- Brighton & Hove – 47.5 points
- Wolverhampton – 47 points
- Edinburgh – 46 points
- Chelmsford – 43 points
- Norwich – 41 points
- Leeds – 29 points
MONEY SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS AND RENOVATIONS:
- Highest: Glasgow – £5,940
- Lowest: Leeds: £1,697
PROPORTION OF RESPONDENTS WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE HOUSE-PROUD:
- Highest: Sheffield – 70%
- Lowest: Plymouth – 45%
TIME SPENT CLEANING/TIDYING THE HOME PER WEEK:
- Highest: Glasgow – 5 hours 43 minutes
- Lowest: Coventry – 3 hours
NUMBER OF TRADESPEOPLE USED PER HOME, ON AVERAGE:
- Highest: Glasgow – 7
- Lowest: Norwich – 3
PROPORTION OF HOMES WHO HAVE FEWER DIY JOBS LEFT TO DO THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR:
- Highest: Newcastle – 9
- Lowest: Leeds – 1