Investing in quality cutlery and enjoying garden centres are signs of middle age, survey finds

British public now considers 47 to be middle-aged, poll also discovers

More than half of those polled believed being middle aged meant knowing what you wanted out of life (Rex Features)

Eschewing flat-pack furniture, being happy to spend money on carpets and booking more holidays are among the signs someone has reached “middle aged”, according to a survey.

Those in mid-life were happy to spend time scouring garden and home stores for fun, were likely to care more about matching cushions and wanted to invest in quality cutlery and crockery.

The poll of 2,000 adults found that, for 52 per cent of those polled, being middle aged simply meant someone was more likely to know what they wanted out of life.

About four in 10 adults said they had become more concerned about the upkeep of their property and its contents as they became older.

A spokesperson at Robert Welch, a kitchen, dining and homeware company which commissioned the research, said: “Being middle aged is an era to celebrate and for many it is simply a time in our lives when we finally know who we are and what we want out of life.

“This age group is an exciting one – people start to take a more sensible approach to life, whether that’s with their own health and fitness, looking after their home, or those around them.”

Researchers also discovered that people believed 47-year-olds now qualified as middle-aged.

Many of those polled believed reaching middle aged meant taking a greater interest in looking good while knowing a little more about politics, knowing more about plant names, and refusing to eat without a matching knife and fork.

Having a fridge packed with healthy vegetables, buying from butchers and green grocers and taking up Crossfit or cycling were all commonly associated with someone who is more mature.

The spokesperson for Robert Welch added: “The survey results indicate that those who are middle aged are making intelligent choices and spending their money wisely.”

SWNS