Brits get ready for a summer to DIY for

Homebase  |  Press release

An event-packed summer, and seven million* Brits claiming they haven't updated their rooms since the Golden Jubilee, this Easter will see a frenzy of DIY activity according to Homebase, which is gearing up for one of the busiest weekends of the year.

New research from Homebase, the leading home-enhancement retailer, reveals that the average Brit is due to spend nearly eight days making improvements between now and the summer. And when you consider that 95% of people admit that their homes aren't finished to their satisfaction, there is much to do before the summer festivities.

With the Golden Jubilee celebrations only a couple of months away and then a summer of sport, getting the home ready for guests is a priority for many with over one in five (21.6%) planning at least one party this summer. And 'home shame' is spurring people into action with more than half (52.5%) admitting they're embarrassed about entertaining in their un-finished homes.

The big summer spruce-up is set to start with a bang this weekend with more than a quarter (28%) of people earmarking it as one to clear their DIY to do list. Although with many people now choosing to stay at home rather than travel for the long weekend, that figure is set to rise.

Confidence, a lack of inspiration or skills and worrying about time and money are common barriers to getting the job done.  In response, Homebase has launched an innovative Create Your Own Look tool online to help people plan and try out different looks. Also available are How To guides on Homebase.co.uk and YouTube offering additional guidance. Plus, for this Friday and Saturday, Homebase is offering 15% off all products including DIY, decorating, garden furniture and plants.

Jo Kenrick, Marketing Director at Homebase said: "Easter is going to be the start of preparations for an exciting summer of celebrations. We will be helping people this weekend and across the summer by providing ideas, inspiration and practical help to ensure the British public can throw house parties and garden parties to be proud of."   

Homebase has created the top ten decorating ideas (see below) to help people get started this weekend.  TV's Property Expert, Martin Roberts said: "It doesn't have to take a lot of time and money to make some changes to your home if you take the right approach. This weekend is the ideal time to spend a couple of days refreshing or revamping so you can enjoy the summer ahead feeling proud of your space."

Top ideas for home improvements this Easter

1) Make an immediate impact

How do you change the way people view your home? Start by making an impact as soon as they enter. Give the hallway a facelift and it will immediately look bright and clean, giving guests a fresh view of your home.

2) Paint a feature wall but complement the existing colours

A feature wall will give your room an immediate lift, but if you only decorate one wall and keep existing colours, you can maintain the majority of the accessories.

3) Make your room look bigger

If a room seems small and pokey then you can change the perception of space by using horizontally striped wallpaper, which will make the room feel wider. If you want to give the illusion of extra height then try vertical stripes.

4) Don't be afraid of wallpaper

Many people are put off by using wallpaper as they worry about becoming entangled with paper and paste. If you are new to decorating try our Easy collection that is so simple to use, you paste the wall and not the paper.

5) Make your rooms sing in spring

Lighten up your home to reflect the season. Chartreuse and Teal are popular colours for this time of year, so use paint or accessories to add accents of colour. An inexpensive way to bring spring colours into the home is to add a wall art or candles to a room (e.g. Teal metallic butterfly canvas 57x57cm 944299, Teal Square Glass Candle 412563).

6) Make your kids' room one they want to keep tidy

Bright bold colours in childrens' rooms may help them identify their space and really feel it's theirs to look after. Purple, Lime, Jellybean, Flame and Mango are all colours adorning the walls at the moment.

7) Give furniture and cupboard doors a fresh new look

Replacing surfaces and doors can be costly but sometimes they just need a refresh. Use the multi-surface primer and undercoat that can be brush-applied to these surfaces, allowing you to apply a decorative coat on top like a non-drip satin or eggshell paint.

8) Get the garden in shape

While the water ban may make people think that their gardens won't bloom this summer, it's actually a lack of winter water that will prompt hosepipe bans. Summer rain will still help plants, so plant some colourful pots.  Select plants for colour and fragrance. Geraniums need less watering than other bedding plants so are a good choice if you have a hosepipe ban.

9) Don't neglect the outdoors

How your house looks before people even enter is very much key to perception. If things are starting to look a bit tatty then think about the exterior and perhaps bring some colour by also giving your shed and fence a lick of paint. We have some great outdoor paint ranges that can be applied using a sprayer to make the job quick and easy.

10) Accessorise to good effect

If you really feel you haven't the time to tackle a new decorating project then perhaps you can look at changing the accessories? Cushions, rugs, curtains, ornaments can bring a whole new look to a room and allow you to embrace the changing season - regardless of your decorating expertise! This is a great tip for refreshing and changing a look without taking too much time or money.

 

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For more information please contact:

Homebase.pressoffice@iris-worldwide.com / 020 7922 8122

jessica.lovell@iris-worldwide.com / 020 7101 7846

 

Notes to editors

'Create Your Own Look' tool

Homebase knows that redecorating a room can seem an arduous task and its hard to really visualise how a room could look. But the perfect home is only a click away with Homebase's revolutionary 'Create Your Own Look' tool. The new online technology allows customers to transform the look of their home instantly at the click of a mouse with access to over 1,000 paints, 200 flooring and tiling choices and over 900 wallpaper options.

About Homebase

Homebase is one of the UK's leading home enhancement retailers selling over 38,000 products for the home and garden.  It has more than 340 large, out-of-town stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland serving over 65 million customers a year, and a growing internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk. In the financial year to February 2011, Homebase sales were £1.6 billion and it employed some 19,000 people across the business.

Homebase is part of Home Retail Group, the UK's leading home and general merchandise retailer

 

For news and media please visit http://www.homeretailgroup.com/news-and-media/.

The research for Homebase was carried out online by Opinion Matters between 09/03/2012 and 15/03/2012 amongst a panel resulting in 1,001 UK homeowner respondents. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).

 

* Based on ONS 2007 UK population statistics

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