10.11.2016

Moving up the ladder: Connected Consumers invest to create their dream homes

Home improvement is now a big trend. Consumers the world over want to invest in improving their homes. When we asked people in 22 countries what home improvements they would most like to carry out, the top answer was interior décor or design (39%). This was followed closely by overall size or layout (38%) and furniture (35%).

When we drill down further into the results there are some interesting differences between men and women. Home improvement for women is all about the aesthetic, with 43% saying that interior décor is the element they would most like to improve. Furniture is their next priority (40%), followed by the overall size and layout (39%) of their home. In contrast, men see things from a more functional perspective. The overall size and layout of their home is the overriding concern at 37%. Their next priorities are household appliances and interior décor at 35% each. Men are also more likely to prioritize upgrading their home’s entertainment equipment than women (30% vs. 19%).

Consumer’s obsession with improving the look of their home is most prevalent in Turkey and Russia. More than half the population in both countries (56% and 55% respectively) cite it as the element they would most like to improve. In contrast, consumers in Hong Kong and Argentina would most like to improve their overall size and layout of their homes.

The Russians and the Chinese are the most likely to covet changing or improving their household appliances at 45% and 40% respectively. A significant number of consumers in South Korea (42%) and Hong Kong and China (both at 37%) believe that they could do better when it comes to the overall level of cleanliness of their homes.

Storage space is a key area for improvement for consumers in Hong Kong (47%), and Mexico and Argentina (both 44% each). Improving how well organized the home is, is something 40% of people in Hong Kong and 39% of South Korea’s would like to address. Mexicans and Australians are most likely to think outside their four walls: 43% and 38% respectively prioritize improving their outside space.

While the trend for renovations is undisputedly global, a high percentage of consumers in the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, France and Belgium say that they would not want to make any of the specified improvements to their home. So although the desire to continually upgrade their homes is prevalent amongst many Connected Consumers, it is also evident that a small minority are perfectly content with what the homes they’ve got.

 

Are you interested in more information? Access the full findings for each of the 22 markets covered