Wednesday, 01 March 2017

- Wood panelling, avocado bathrooms and built in bars named as fixtures most likely to put UK homebuyers off

- On average UK homebuyers would reduce their offer by a massive £5,000 if a property still had an avocado bathroom

- 324,000 UK homes still have outdated avocado bathroom suites


Research into the nation’s most hated retro décor trends by Bathrooms.com has revealed the 10 interior design trends most likely to devalue your home are:

1. Wood panelling (46% of UK homebuyers wouldn't buy a property if it still had old fashioned wood panelling)
2. Avocado bathrooms (44%)
3. Built-in bars (41%)
4. Woodchip (41%)
5. Artex ceilings (40%)
6. Heavily patterned carpet (35%)
7. Textured wallpaper (34%)
8. Crazy paving (33%)
9. Brick fireplaces (33%)
10. Built in wardrobes over the bed (30%)

According to the study, UK homebuyers would look to knock £4,877.46 off the purchase price of a property if it still had an outdated avocado bathroom suite. One in six of us (16%) would expect to pay at least £5,000 less and 6% of 25-34 year olds would seek a price reduction of at least £10,000.


New year – new bathroom?

It would seem despite the nation’s love for all things interior design, just over one per cent of the British public (1.2%) still have one of the infamous avocado suites lurking in their bathroom – this equates to a staggering 324,000 of the notorious green eyesores still at large in the UK.


The Avocado Amnesty

Following the results from the research, Bathrooms.com has launched an ‘Avocado Amnesty’ to help the nation upgrade their bathrooms. The bathroom retailer has pledged to help every avocado bathroom owner get a stylish new bathroom they can be proud of - from a complete bathroom makeover, to free baths and more.

If you are, or you know someone who is still living like it’s the 70s, head to the Avocado Amnesty here: www.bathrooms.com/avocado-amnesty

Almost three quarters of the UK (75%) think avocado bathroom suites are ugly and three out of four people (71%) say if they bought a new home and it had an avocado bathroom suite, it would be the first thing they’d rip out. But despite this, a fifth of UK homeowners (20%) confess they’ve never updated their bathroom, and around a quarter of the UK (23%) admit to being embarrassed by their outdated bathroom when their friends come over to visit.

Harshad Gorasia, Bathrooms.com Commercial Director commented:
“Once upon a time, avocado bathroom suites were the height of fashion and a statement feature for homes up and down the UK, but now they tend to look tired, outdated and in need of recycling. Given that so many of us have never updated our bathrooms, it’s not surprising to see there are still over 300,000 in the country. More than half of the nation says a relaxing bath is their favourite way to unwind and de-stress, so we think everyone should have a bathroom they’re proud of, where they can relax, switch off and have a good soak at the end of a long day.”


- ENDS -


Notes to editors:

- Survey conducted by Census Wide in December 2016 – polling 2000 people aged 16 and above across the UK.
- Based on there being 27 million households in the UK (Source ONS), and 1.2% households cited as having an avocado bathroom, this equates to 324,000 UK homes

About Bathrooms.com

Bathrooms.com was founded in 2004 and has been providing the UK with affordable bathroom design ever since. Bathrooms.com believe in nurturing long term relationships with designers and craftsmen to give customers good design at prices that will help them create more than they ever thought possible. Based in Watford, the Bathrooms.com team are on a mission to democratise good bathroom design.

Press contacts:
Hannah Ashley / hannaha@propellernet.co.uk / 01273 760983
Hannah Harris / hannah@propellernet.co.uk / 01273 760992