The results of a year-long study clearly show a growing trend among home owners for improving their properties rather than trying to sell and move at this time of economic uncertainty.
The study carried out by the online search directory ThomsonLocal.com is based on the number of searches for local businesses operating in the building/property and home improvement sectors. Not only do the results show a significant increase in home improvement related searches, they also identify the garden and the bathroom as the two areas that people want to improve most.
Searches for Garden Design increased by 182% on the previous year, while searches for Garden Centres and Nurseries jumped 159%. The idea that a well laid out garden is an important part in home improvement is reinforced by the staggering 231% increase in searches for Garden Sheds.
According to the study’s results bathrooms are also being transformed, with searches for Tile Stockists increasing by 194%, searches for Bathroom Equipment and Fittings rising by 69%, while there was an increase of 65% in searches for the services of Bathroom Planners and Furnishers.
In contrast searches for Estate Agents fell by 69%, while House Builders recorded a 65% drop in the number of searches they received.