Fewer projects

European consumers undertook fewer home improvement projects in 2014 than in the previous year. They were most active in April and June, when 14.3 per cent of households in eleven countries worked on one or more projects. The quota was at its lowest in December at 8.3 per cent. In September a marked slump was recorded compared with 2013 (12 per cent compared with 14.6 per cent). The figures were collated by the USP Marketing Consultancy for its European Home Improvement Monitor. Around two-thirds of projects were carried out as do-it-yourself jobs, while professionals were called in to undertake a third of the projects.