Brits need to redecorate before their house feels like a home

When it comes to making a house a home, it seems there’s just one method: a fresh lick of paint.

Redecorating came top of a  Wayfair poll to find out what it takes before a new house really starts to feel like home, with 18 per cent of people choosing to pick up a paint brush or hang some new wallpaper and stamp their own personality on a property.
Other top answers included cooking for the first time (16 per cent) and celebrating their first Christmas (15 per cent).

When respondents were asked to share the first word that came to mind when they thought of home, the majority (17 per cent) thought of family. Other common associations with home included comfort (16.6 per cent), sanctuary (10 per cent), relaxation (eight per cent) and warmth (five per cent).  

When it comes to social etiquette when receiving a guest, respondents were asked what they tend to do during the first five minutes of a guest arriving at their home. The top response was to offer them a cup of tea (43 per cent). This was followed by apologising for the mess (12 per cent) and asking them how their journey was (10 per cent).

However, when it comes to what is expected of a guest at home, 26 per cent make a rule of no smoking in their home. Other popular British house rules include turning the lights off when you leave a room (15 per cent) and taking your shoes off after you enter the house (14 per cent).

Finally, the survey reveals 32 per cent of Brits miss their home after being away for just one day, but this number jumps to 50 per cent of Brits who start missing home after two days of being away.