Five months for a house to become a home, survey shows

Updated

First-time buyers can expect to spend around five months transforming their new house into a home, research suggests.

A survey from Barclays Mortgages found it takes just over five months on average for first-time buyers to feel they have put their own stamp on a property.

Around a quarter (24%) of people who had bought their first property said it took over six months to personalise their property.

The research found first-time buyers are most likely to concentrate their attention on the living room when making the transition from a house to a home, with bedrooms taking second place on the agenda, followed by the kitchen and bathroom.

Family pictures, cushions, blankets and luxury throws are the most common additions that new home owners credit for making their property feel more "homely", according to the survey of 750 people who have bought a property in the past five years.

Among those with a bigger budget, the most popular high-cost homely additions are a real fire, a new en suite bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe, the research found.

Advertisement