The unfinished home: 1.4 million rooms left difficult to use due to DIY jobs

New research from Aviva^[1] reveals that most UK homeowners surveyed (79%)^[2] do not consider their home ‘complete’ in all of its renovations and DIY projects. Of these, a fifth (21%) – equivalent to 1.4 million rooms^[3] - are left unable to use a room in their home.

According to the research, over two fifths of homeowners surveyed (43%)^[4] have an unfinished DIY or home improvement job somewhere in the house, with 18-24-year-olds being almost three times more likely to have outstanding projects compared to over 55s^[1] (74% vs 25%). Such tasks include sorting storage or decluttering (24%), repainting or redecorating a room (22%) and sorting out the garden or outdoor space (21%). This could explain why two in five homeowners whose home is not completed in all its renovations (40%) do not think their home will ever be truly finished and expect to always be making changes.

On average, for those who have any unfinished DIY projects, DIY jobs have been waiting 15 months to be completed, and more than one in 10 (11%) have a project that's been running for four years or more. When looking at why projects were stalled, DIY enthusiasts cited priorities taking over (36%), simply not getting around to it (29%), or costs (21%) as the main reasons for the delay.

The research also shows that some projects have been abandoned altogether. Cosmetic jobs, such as painting and wallpapering, top the list of abandoned projects (42%), followed by functional, non-urgent jobs such as replacing flooring or putting up shelves (36%). However, the research reveals that homeowners are deserting more essential home maintenance jobs such as fixing a leaky roof or repairing guttering (25%), which could leave homes vulnerable to storm or rain damage and impact a homeowner’s ability to make a claim, should the worst unfortunately happen. In some cases, insurers may reduce or reject a claim if damage has been caused or made worse by a lack of basic maintenance.

Hannah Davidson, Senior Underwriting Manager, Home and Lifestyle at Aviva said: “Our research shows that many of us are continuously tweaking our homes, both structurally and cosmetically. While you don’t need to let your insurer know of cosmetic updates such as painting, you should always check your policy cover to find out what your insurer needs to know about and inform your insurer about significant renovations before they take place, particularly if you have builders working in the property or the home will be left unoccupied. In some cases, a new or revised policy may be needed to properly protect your 'revamped' home once the changes are complete and if the renovations are significant, you may need to purchase specialist insurance to have full protection during the work.

“It’s concerning however to see that a quarter of those surveyed who have abandoned a home project are failing to properly maintain their home such as fixing leaks. This could lead to your claim being declined as most insurance policies do not cover issues arising from poor maintenance or wear and tear, which is why it’s important to keep on top of home maintenance all year round.

"For the incidents that do catch us off guard, it could be worth considering an optional add-on to home insurance known as accidental damage cover. This can protect against sudden, one-off mishaps, such as putting a foot through the ceiling during a loft clear-out or spilling paint on the carpet mid-decorating, giving you that extra layer of protection while your home is a work in progress."

Aviva’s top tips for renovating homes include:

• Tell your insurer about the work: If you’re planning significant renovations – such as a loft conversion or extension - it’s important to let your insurer know in advance. Some insurers require you to tell them, and failing to do so could affect your cover while work is ongoing.
• Consider optional add-ons: Even if your buildings insurance doesn’t cover damage caused by renovation work, your contents policy may still protect your belongings. If you have contents insurance, it’s worth considering adding accidental damage cover to help safeguard your possessions should anything go wrong.
• Check your builder is properly insured: Standard home insurance usually won’t cover major building work, so it’s important to make sure your contractor has their own liability insurance, covering their work and any damage it causes before they start.
• Keep your home secure while work is on hold: Renovations, especially ones that are paused or abandoned, can leave a property more vulnerable if doors, windows, or roofs are temporarily removed, so secure the site at the end of each day and check whether your insurer has any security requirements during the works.

Read more information on the research.

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. _{My home needs renovating/updating but I haven't started yet’, ‘My home is a work in progress’, ‘My home is mostly finished, there are some minor updates to make’ and ‘Other, please specify’ responses combined. [↑]}

^3. _{1.4 million rooms calculated by: Gov.uk states 16m owner-occupied households in England, 1.58m in Scotland, 1.06m in Wales, and 0.55m in Northern Ireland, totaling 19.2m. 9% of that total is 1.4m, meaning around 4 million rooms remain unused due to on-hold projects. England source: GOV.UK, Scotland source: gov.scot, Wales source: GOV.WALES, Northern Ireland source: Northern Ireland Housing Statistics. [↑]}

^4. _{All ‘Yes’ responses combined. [↑]}

Enquiries:

Liz Kennett

+44 (0) 7800 692 675

liz.kennett@aviva.com

Sid Varma

sid.varma@aviva.com

+44 (0) 7385 018 944