Almost 40% of homeowners think their houses will never be truly completed, study says

Since lockdown, over half of those surveyed are more motivated than ever to improve their homes

43 per cent were found to be a perfectionist when it comes to their dwellings – desperate to get the décor and furnishings just right (iStock)

The average home is five years and five months away from being “finished” — with painting, a garden revamp and redecorating the living room topping the nation’s ‘to do’ lists.

Researchers who polled 2,000 adults found 43 per cent are perfectionists when it comes to their dwellings — desperate to get their décor and furnishings just right.

And 14 per cent even have a “vision” for their homes that includes everything from the wallpaper to the windows.

But despite their best efforts, 39 per cent of people surveyed admitted they don’t think their homes will ever be truly complete.

The study was commissioned by Independent Network powered by VEKA. A spokeswoman for the company said: “What we want from our homes continually evolves so there probably is no such thing as a finished home.

“But that’s part of the fun of owning a home — you can change it as you change, plus it’s rewarding to have a project on the go.

“And perhaps with the likelihood that more people will work from home from now on, we’ll have even more we’ll want to do to improve our homes.”

The study also found that three quarters of homeowners described themselves as house proud, with 71 per cent adding that their homes are more important to them now than ever before.

As a result, 54 per cent are more motivated “than ever before” to improve their homes.

And there is no sign this drive to finish off their homes will slow anytime soon, with 85 per cent wanting to get more jobs done this year.

Among them are painting walls and ceilings, giving the garden a revamp and getting the living room done.

Despite this, 70 per cent of those polled are happy with their homes, with a fifth claiming to be most proud of their bathroom.

However, the living room is the area of the home they are most proud of, followed by the kitchen and the garden.

Four in 10 admitted they are so proud of their homes they “can’t wait” to invite people over as restrictions are reduced — so they can give them a grand tour of all the improvements they’d made.

The Independent Network powered by VEKA study, carried out through OnePoll, also explored the typical life cycle of different areas of the home.

On average, master bedrooms get redecorated every five-and-a-half years, bathrooms every six years and three months, while windows tend to get replaced every eight years.

The garden gets a revamp after five, the kitchen after six years and four months, and the living room after five years and four months.

The spokeswoman for Independent Network powered by VEKA added: “For many of us, our homes are constantly evolving — whether that’s changing the décor, the layout of rooms, having new windows installed or whatever it might be.

“And that’s very much what makes owning a home so much fun — seeing your plans come to fruition and being able to step back be delighted at the work done.