British homeowners are set to spend a staggering £1.5bn preparing their home for Christmas guests, new research has found.

The nationwide survey, conducted by trade directory Checkatrade, found that over half (55%) of homeowners admit to feeling the pressure to get their home looking perfect during the festive period.

The number one reason cited by respondents was a fear of judgement from friends and family (50%) followed by a need to impress people (34%). Interestingly, 1 in 10 people felt social media has added to the pressure to have a perfect home.

The research discovered that the average amount people spend getting their home Christmas-ready is £110, putting the total potential spend this year in the region of £1.5bn.

The primary concern for homeowners is ensuring the house is sparkling from top to bottom, with almost half deep-cleaning the house (49%), a third washing the windows inside and out (32%) and over a quarter cleaning the carpets (27%).

It’s not just the cleaning jobs that fill up the to-do lists however; astonishingly 10% of homeowners have fitted a new kitchen in the run-up to Christmas, while almost 1 in 5 (17%) have redecorated the living room.

Mike Fairman, CEO at Checkatrade, commented: “It’s no surprise that homeowners are busy getting Christmas-ready – but it’s a case of them decking the halls with paint and flooring, rather than boughs of holly. With so many Brits looking to spruce up their homes in the run up to Christmas, a time where we usually fill them with expensive gifts and decorations, it’s important to ensure that you’re only letting reputable, vetted and monitored trade experts in to your home, to ensure you aren’t missing out on a very Merry Christmas.”

Checkatrade, is a leading UK directory of trade experts, working across a huge breath of industries from cleaning to architecture. If you’re looking to speak to a trade expert about getting your home ready for Christmas visit.

The research is based on data gathered through survey research conducted by Checkatrade via The Leadership Factor in November 2019. Data is based on a sample of 1,000 UK adults.

www.checkatrade.com