Halloween may be behind us, but house extensions it seems will still provide scares for those undertaking home improvement projects, with kitchens and bathrooms not far behind.
According to a survey by Rated People, more than half of homeowners surveyed (58%) put house extensions as the scariest renovation project they might face. Next most likely to give them goosebumps were loft conversions (50%), followed by kitchen installations (45%) and bathroom installations (40%).
The remaining four scariest were garage conversions (29%), solar panel installations (29%), fireplace installations (25%), boiler servicing or fitted (22%), garden design (13%) and painting and decorating (12%).
Homeowners also revealed their biggest worries when it came to having such work carried out. These were spiralling costs (58%), the mess from building work (41%), disruption to daily routines (36%).
So worried were some owners about how scary these projects could get saw almost three-quarters (72%) putting off a renovations more than once.
The survey of 2,000 people also revealed that over the past year, with the boom in home improvements, 50% of people admitted to picking up the tools and doing the work themselves.
Commenting on the survey, Rated People chief executive Adrienne Minster said: “It is great to see so many homeowners continuing to invest in home improvements. DIY has been strong over the last year and homeowners are posting 40% more trade jobs on Rated People now, compared to this time of year before the pandemic. However, it is important to recognise that many still find home improvements daunting, especially the bigger projects like an extension.
“There will of course be a level of disturbance as works get underway but by sourcing skilled and professional tradespeople who can not only carry out the works, but also offer expert advice and help with planning and design, there is no reason why projects can’t run smoothly. Tradespeople can help these homeowners and win business by being aware of the common renovation worries and looking to reduce them as part of their routine planning process.”