17,000 consumers surveyed across nine European countries

Home improvement retailer Kingfisher, whose businesses include B&Q and Screwfix has released the findings of its European Home Report, which found 77% of consumers said their homes need adapting to suit changing family needs. In the next 12 months, 17% of European consumers were prioritising the purchase of a kitchen or a renovation.

The company, who recently reported a 5.2% sales growth in its full year results, surveyed 17,000 householders’ attitudes to home improvement, covering nine countries including Germany, France, Poland, Russia, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Romania and Turkey. 

The report further revealed 22% needed more space and Kingfisher reported 68% of homeowners were using home improvement to increase the value of their home, compared to 17% in 2012. 

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In addition, the survey revealed in the UK, people were most likely to buy DIY products online (46%) and most likely to use ‘click and collect’ services (28%). It further showed that consumers from the UK also desire en-suite bathrooms more than any other European country.

Influences on kitchen and bathroom purchases included the rising cost of energy prices, with 65% of consumers saying they worried about these bills and 31% intending to update their homes’ energy efficiency. People were also eight times more likely to prioritise energy efficient changes, compared to two years ago. 

Group chief executive of Kingfisher, Sir Ian Cheshire, commented: “As lifestyles change and living costs rise, people want more and more from their home. The modern home increasingly needs to be a flexible, adaptable space that is able to evolve as our lives change. Despite worries about rising energy costs, the big increase in those looking to use their home as a wealth creator through doing home improvement shows people are more confident about their homes than they were just a couple of years ago.”