Member Article

Home improvement in Yorkshire & Humber region falls below national average

A report released today reveals that home improvement activity in Yorkshire & the Humber fell below the national average in 2013.

Figures from construction intelligence specialists Barbour ABI show that there were 1.34 home improvement applications for every 100 homes in the region last year, well below the national average of 1.8.

Harrogate topped the list with 2.7 applications, and experts have put this down to the significant number of so-called “affluent grey” residents living in the area.

Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, commented: “As with other parts of the UK, the more people earn or the more desirable the area they live in, the more home improvement activity there is likely to be.

“This is especially true in places such as Harrogate, which attracts plenty of wealthy retirees looking to purchase second homes.”

This is also evident in areas such as Hambleton and Richmondshire, second and third in the region’s top 10 home improvers list, where “affluent greys” account for approximately 30% of households.

Kingston-upon-Hull, which has one of the lowest average incomes in the region, came bottom of the list.

The Government’s Family Spending survey suggests that households across the region spent approximately £1.4 billion on home improvements in 2011 and 2012, an average of £620 a year for every household in the region.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .