Mum and Dad are responsible for decorating the homes of more than one in four first-time buyers. What’s more most first-time buyers admit to not knowing how to do DIY.
A lack of confidence and self-proclaimed laziness are the two biggest reasons why more than a quarter of first-time buyers get help from their parents to decorate their new homes.
Interiors specialist Hillarys (www.hillarys.co.uk) conducted the research to uncover the decorating habits and preferences of first-time buyers. 2,592 adult Britons aged 21 and over were quizzed on their experiences of becoming homeowners, all of whom had brought their very first property within the last year.
First, respondents were asked ‘Were you mostly happy with how your house was decorated when you purchased it?’ to which 84% stated that they were not. Of these, more than one fifth (21%) stated that they’d purchased a property in need of redecorating and modernising as it had been sold to them at a reduced price.
All participants were then asked who had been in charge of decorating and the interior of the new property (after they’d taken ownership), with the top answers revealed as follows:
- Myself – 40%
- My parents – 25%
- My partner – 17%
- A hired professional – 11%
- Haven’t decorated at all yet -5%
- Friends – 2%
Next, those who stated that their parents had taken on the majority of the decorating and interior responsibilities in their new homes were asked why this had occurred. More than half (51%) admitted that they were ‘unsure on how to correctly carry out DIY tasks’ so had asked their parents to do them. A further 26% confessed they were ‘too lazy’ to do it themselves, while 19% said they had hectic schedules and their parents had the time to decorate for them. Meanwhile, 2% disclosed that as their parents had given them the money to buy the home – so as the owners they wanted to decorate it too.
More than three quarters (76%) admitted that there were still undecorated rooms in their homes, with spare bedroom (57%), bathroom (23%) and dining room (14%) the rooms most likely to still be in need of interior work.
Tara Hall, spokesperson for www.hillarys.co.uk, said:
“There’s no shame in getting a helping hand from those who know better. Whether that’s mum or dad or the professionals, the important thing is picking up a few new skills and getting the best possible finish.”