Interior decorating (29%), a new kitchen (23%) and bathroom renovations (21.4%) were the top choices for those planning home improvement works, with new flooring (21%) and new doors (15%) also making the top five.

Other planned home improvements include external works like roofing, gutters, and external paintwork (14%), new windows (13%), adding or upgrading a downstairs toilet (10%), and fitting a new boiler (10%) or new lighting (9%).

One in ten respondents said the cost and difficulty of buying and selling will see them actively put off plans to move in favour of home improvements and over a third (36%) of all respondents aren’t considering a move but have plans to upgrade their home.

The initial findings released as part of the Functional Spaces: Homes for Living research suggest that despite a challenging start to the year for many businesses in the home improvements sector, factors such as a reduction in energy pricing may be allowing homeowners to invest in their homes once again.

Häfele UK head of marketing Natalie Davenport said: “In our survey of 2,000 UK homeowners, there are indications that half of the households’ plan to spend on their current property in the coming years.

“The kitchen is a particular area that homeowners are looking to improve, especially as our research found that one in ten people do not like their current kitchen.”

This year’s survey revealed that 81% of homeowners feel they would have an improved quality of life if the biggest issues in their kitchen were resolved.

Not enough storage was the most common factor, chosen by 28% of those surveyed, with kitchens being ‘too small’ for a quarter of respondents.

Cluttered worktops (19%), damaged and tired kitchen cabinets (17%) and inaccessible cupboards and shelving (15%) were also frequent problems.

Examining the priorities for those planning a future kitchen upgrade, the top four comprise quality and how long it will last (19%); budget and overall cost (18%); function and usability (14%); and style and how it looks (11%).

Almost a quarter of respondents (24%) said they would shop around to get the best functionality for their budget – up 3% versus 2022.