Homebuyer personality types

• June 17th, 2014

Having enjoyed a house swap with friends from Suffolk recently, your blogger was very much aware how different our two homes are: theirs is neat and tidy, with good quality matching oak furniture and themed décor, where cushions tastefully coordinate with the colour elements to the fitted deep-pile carpets and sofa suite. Our place is eclectic, with non-matching furniture, wooden floors and a jumble of personal memorabilia. Possibly the biggest difference noticeable, though, is the range of repairs where Plastic Surgeon could to get involved: the contrast between a modern bungalow and a 200 year old granite cottage where the walls and wooden beams never stop moving.

Homes – like pets – probably reflect their owners and our two probably represent a stronger than normal contrast, but it was instructive to discover that there are apparently six separate homebuyer personality types, according to a survey undertaken by the NHBC. These are:

• The First Timer – looking to get on the housing ladder with a partner or a house share with friends, prefers low maintenance property as they have used most of their funds scraping together a deposit.
• The Easy Lifer – loves everything brand new, wants a move-in ready house with state-of-the art appliances and technology, and always the first to have the latest gadgets.
• The Interior Designer – buys interior design magazines for the latest in cushions and throws; happy to redecorate and create feature walls, but tends to shy away from extensive renovation work.
• The Project Hunter – always on the look-out for an investment opportunity “project”, who will knock down walls and spend time with drills and hammers to create a dream home.
• The Altruist – cares about the environment, and would love to install solar panels to keep down energy bills. An avid recycler, never leaves the TV on standby and always uses the washing machine on the ‘eco’ cycle.
• The Co-Homer – lives under one roof with adult children and elderly parents, needs multiple bathrooms, multi-functional living spaces and lots of storage to accommodate the entire family. (Also known nowadays as the Sandwich Generation).

To find out which type of homebuyer you are, go to http://www.nhbc.co.uk/homebuyerquiz

Perversely I’m a Project Hunter and an Altruist – having literally rebuilt half our cottage before putting PV panels on the roof, and filling it with second hand furniture. However, while we count ourselves as competent DIYists, I could, unlike my friend in Suffolk, do with letting Plastic Surgeon loose on virtually every room in my home, saving a fortune on replacement or further rebuilding work, by the company repairing damaged furniture, dented skirting boards and cracks in the plaster. Then there is the chipped melamine kitchen worktop, scratches in the glass on the green dresser (over-zealous with wire-wool during its restoration); and the steel bath’s faint rust stain which really needs one of the Finishers applying a new coating over it.

The fact is most of us run out of steam once we’ve been round a home once, and you find more entertaining or relaxing things to do with your weekends. Thankfully for homeowners, their insurance companies, and even the UK’s big housebuilders, Plastic Surgeon offers a comprehensive range of repair techniques which save serious money over replacement costs, and are kind to the environment at the same time.

Ah well, will get round to it one day …. meanwhile, where are my sandals, book and sun lounger…