Death of the dining room: Over one in five homeowners have repurposed their dining spaces

• Aviva research reveals nearly a quarter (23%) of homeowners have repurposed their dining rooms
• Research suggests a desire to ‘improve’ homes rather than move, with homeowners having repurposed a room at least twice, on average, in their current home
• More than one in 10 (13%) homeowners in London have converted their basements or cellars – almost double the national average (7%)
• Detached property owners who have renovated their home have spent an average £63,169 on works in the past year alone
• Aviva urges homeowners to inform their insurer of any major work taking place to avoid being underinsured

With the August bank holiday often a busy period for home decoration and renovation, new research from Aviva^[1] suggests the traditional dining room is falling out of favour, with more than a fifth of homeowners^[2] surveyed having converted the space for an alternative purpose.

Unsurprisingly, bedrooms (52%) and spare rooms/ box rooms (38%) are the most repurposed rooms in homes. However, the research also indicates a shift towards more modern-day living with more than a fifth (23%) choosing to repurpose dining rooms and just under a fifth (19%) changing the lounge.

The changes could be explained by people preferring to make use of the space they have, with the average household changing the purpose of a room twice since moving in. In fact, of those who have repurposed rooms in their current home, around a quarter (24%) have changed three or more rooms, hinting at huge transformations across UK homes.

London homeowners^[2] are leading the charge underground, with more than one in 10 (13%) converting their basement or cellar, which is almost double the national average of 7%. The capital's homeowners are also among the most willing to wave goodbye to the formal dining room, with 28% changing the space. At the other end of the scale, homeowners in Wales (16%) and the East Midlands (17%) are holding onto their dining rooms the longest.

The research also shows that life events have a huge influence on the reasons behind making home changes. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed (63%)^[3] have made a significant change to their homes after something happening in their life, with nearly three in 10 (29%) attributing this to changing families, 13% to financial changes and one in 13 (8%) to relationship changes^[4].

When looking at property type, the research reveals that detached property owners who have renovated their home have spent an average of £63,169 on home improvements, or DIY projects in the past year alone. This is followed by bungalow owners who spent £12,097 on average, more than twice as much as semi-detached and terraced property owners, who spent an average of £5,710 and £5,558 respectively.

The research also reveals nearly a quarter (23%)^[5] of homeowners who've spent money on improvements in the last year say their project went over budget, while almost one in five (18%) didn't set a budget in the first place. Just under a fifth (19%) who have redecorated their home have spent over £10,000 on their property in the past five years, and a third (33%) aren't sure how much they've invested over that time.

Carolyn Scott, Head of Home and Lifestyle at Aviva comments:

"It’s interesting to see how many of us are repurposing and rethinking how we use our homes, with our research showing that dining rooms are falling out of favour. Renovations can be a great way to use existing space yet costs can be unpredictable, particularly on larger projects or in older properties, where underlying issues may not be visible at the outset.

“Though it may be tempting to carry out improvements yourself, think carefully before carrying out any work. Simple jobs may be fine to tackle solo, but for anything structural or specialist, always use a properly vetted, accredited tradesperson.

“Before making any structural changes to your homes, it’s also important to inform your insurer to ensure you have the right level of cover in place during and after these renovations. Depending on the changes, you may require a new or revised policy, to ensure adequate cover is in place for your updated home.”

Encouragingly, most homeowners feel the cost of making changes is justified: a third (33%) of those who have spent money on improvements in the last year say the investment was worth every penny, and more than one in five (22%) believe it has added real value to their home.

 Aviva’s top tips on undertaking any home renovations:

• Do your research: Although it’s helpful to get recommendations, always research the tradespeople you are considering using to make sure they have the correct accreditations for the job at hand. For example, always use a Gas Safe engineer for gas work and a Part P "Competent Person" for electrics. Ask to see a public liability insurance certificate, and keep copies, check references of recent work, and agree everything in a written contract, such as scope of works, dates, waste clearance and staged payments. 
• Check the legalities: In some cases, you may need a party wall agreement, which you'll need to share with your neighbours before work can commence. Be sure to check which legal requirements may apply to your project before work begins, such as planning permission or building regulations. With an Aviva Signature policy, customers can add optional Legal Services cover which may be able to help with legal advice in the event of any disputes about the renovations.
• Budget for the unexpected: Set a realistic contingency, and keep a running record of what you spend, so you stay on top of the project and your home’s true value.
• Inform your insurer about renovations or building work before they take place: Structural changes like loft conversions or extra bedrooms can increase your rebuilding cost, and it’s essential that you let your insurer know before work starts, as your cover may be affected. Your buildings sum insured may need reviewed once work is complete so always keep your insurer informed. 
• Check your contents cover keeps pace, particularly after buying new furniture, appliances or high-value items: In some cases, renovations could lead to residents purchasing new items to fit the newly redesigned space. Aviva Signature Home insurance offers an unlimited contents sum insured (for homes with five or fewer bedrooms that don’t have listed building status), with £10,000 cover for valuables as standard and up to £15,000 for home office equipment.
• Check for single item limits: Bear in mind that insurance policies may have single item limits for valuable belongings. Aviva Signature has a £2,500 single item limit for valuables or items  in and away from the home, so any individual item worth more than this - such as jewellery or watches - should be specified on your policy to be covered for its full value. If you've purchased new valuables as part of your home improvement project, it’s worth reviewing your cover to ensure it remains adequate.
• Keep your bedroom count accurate: If you change how a room is used, such as turning a bedroom into a home office, study or playroom, it may still be considered a bedroom for insurance purposes if it was originally built or designed as one. Changes to room usage can affect how your property is assessed, so make sure your insurer has an accurate record of your home's layout and bedroom count to help ensure you have the appropriate level of cover.
• Check whether your insurer needs to know about any changes to the number of people living in your home: There are many reasons why several generations may be under one roof, and it is important to inform your home insurance provider of any changes in the number of people living at your address. More people can mean more possessions, and possibly a higher chance of accidental damage which is why it’s important to review your policies and make sure you have the appropriate level of cover.  Aviva also has a contents insurance calculator to help estimate the value required.

More information on the research can be found here: https://www.aviva.co.uk/insurance/home-products/home-insurance/knowledge-centre/homes-that-evolve/

-ENDS-

References:

_{1. The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,006 homeowners. The data was collected between 29.06.2026 - 06.08.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles. [↑]}

_{2. Those who have changed the purpose of a room in their home. [↑]}

_{3. Inverse of those who selected “No life events have made me do this”, and “I have never made a significant change to my home”. [↑]}

_{4. Family changes includes the responses “having a child/becoming a parent", "children leaving home", "looking after a family member" and "bereavement". Relationship changes includes the responses "a new relationship/partner moving in" and "a relationship ending". Financial changes includes the responses “inheriting a sum of money" and "a significant pay rise or pay cut". [↑]}

_{5. No, it massively exceeded the budget (more than 50% over)’ and ‘No, it went significantly over budget (26–50% more than expected)’ responses combined. [↑]}

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