Rise in substantial home improvement 'underway'

17:03:20 20th March 2008

A rise in the amount of substantial home improvements - such as loft conversions and the installation of conservatories - has been noted by RatedPeople.com.

Andrew Skipworth, co-founder of the business directory, explains that more people are looking to move "upwards rather than onwards".

He explains that in many cases people carry out such improvements in response to their family growing larger or because they are unhappy or fed-up with the way their house currently looks.

"But, rather than move, they're thinking: 'Well actually, I'm going to stay here and make the house I live in right now the house I want to live in,'" Mr Skipworth continues.

Concluding, he states that consumers should deal with reputable builders when carrying out major pieces of home improvement work.

Figures from the firm suggest that more than 2.7 million Britons who planned to move in 2008 have decided to stay where they are due to uncertainty in the housing market.