Nationwide: 75% of first-time buyers do more DIY

Nationwide Building Society said on May 11 that 75% of first-time buyers carried out more DIY or renovation work than they had expected when they bought their homes. The lender said the finding came from a poll of 2,000 first-time buyers and was part of a broader push to highlight how buyers are using lower-priced homes needing work to get onto the property ladder. (nationwide.co.uk) The figures were later recirculated in industry and social-media posts, but the underlying data appears in Nationwide’s own media release. The same Nationwide release said 66% of first-time buyers bought a cheaper home because it needed DIY or renovation work, while 93% completed at least one project after moving in. The lender said 25% of those who did more work than expected described it as “much more” than anticipated, and 18% said they took on major structural projects. (nationwide.co.uk) ### Where did the 75% figure come from? Nationwide’s May 11 release said the 75% figure came from a poll of 2,000 first-time buyers. The company described the research as part of its focus on support for first-time buyers and used it to outline how often buyers are choosing homes that need work. (nationwide.co.uk) The lender said the finding referred specifically to buyers who “carried out more DIY or renovation than they initially anticipated.” That wording matters because the result is about work done after purchase, not just plans made before moving in. ### How common was DIY among first-time buyers? (nationwide.co.uk) Nationwide said DIY and renovation were “almost universal” among first-time buyers, with 93% completing at least one project since moving in. The same release said 34% reported carrying out many projects. Nearly nine in 10, or 89%, described themselves as confident, excited or willing to take on DIY, according to Nationwide. (nationwide.co.uk) One in five, or 20%, said they specifically chose a property needing work because they enjoy DIY and renovation projects. ### Why were buyers choosing homes that needed work? Two-thirds, or 66%, bought a cheaper home because it needed DIY or renovation work, Nationwide said. (nationwide.co.uk) The lender said 19% described the property as significantly cheaper. Nationwide said buyers cited several reasons for choosing a “fixer-upper.” The company said 41% used that route to buy in the location they wanted, 30% wanted to shape the home to their own tastes over time, 23% wanted to increase the property’s value, and 22% said the work would help prepare the home for future plans such as starting a family. (nationwide.co.uk) ### Which buyers were most likely to say the work grew beyond plan? (nationwide.co.uk) The North West had the highest share of first-time buyers saying they had done more work than expected, at 83%, Nationwide said. Northern Ireland and the South East were lowest on that measure, both at 68%, according to the release. (nationwide.co.uk) The company also said buying a cheaper home because it needed work was most likely in the North East and least likely in Scotland. Nationwide did not, in the excerpt available, publish those regional percentages alongside that statement. ### How much were buyers spending once they moved in? (nationwide.co.uk) Six in 10 first-time buyers, or 60%, spent more than 2,500 pounds on DIY and home-improvement projects after moving in, Nationwide said. The lender said 29% spent more than 5,000 pounds. Nationwide tied the figures to a wider affordability squeeze, saying some buyers were using renovation-ready homes to reduce the upfront purchase price and spread improvements over time. (nationwide.co.uk) That framing came from the company’s own release rather than an independent housing-market study. May 11 is the key date for the underlying research, because that is when Nationwide published the release carrying the 75% figure. (nationwide.co.uk) Readers looking for the original data can find the lender’s media statement and the related trade coverage that repeated the numbers in the days that followed.