Germans are passionate gardeners

German homeowners are particularly fond of their gardens. French homeowners are DIY experts, whilst the Netherlands stands out for its solar-powered homes and sustainable living. Although homeowners’ habits differ worldwide, people share a common goal: to create a home that suits their lifestyle. This is the finding of an international study in which the Myhammer platform, together with its global family of platforms for trades and home services – including its US parent company Angi – surveyed around 5,000 homeowners across ten countries: namely the UK, Canada, the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Brazil.

The results reveal significant differences: from the way people maintain and renovate their homes, through household rituals and design preferences, to the question of what they describe as the "heart" of their own four walls.

For many Germans, a garden is indispensable. In an international comparison, Germany tops the list, with 83 per cent of homeowners rating green spaces as particularly important. It is followed by the UK (78 per cent), Australia (76 per cent) and France (75 per cent). Canada and the Netherlands are just behind, each at 73 per cent. The survey also shows that Germany is a country where people feel particularly stressed by their neighbours, for example when it comes to keeping the garden and the general appearance of the house well-maintained (12 per cent).

Furthermore, 32 per cent of German homeowners currently have solar panels or solar roof tiles – compared with 38 per cent in Australia and 54 per cent in the Netherlands. This makes Germany one of the countries with the most widespread use of solar energy in the study.

In almost all countries, homeowners describe their home as a personal retreat. Germany even tops the list at 73 per cent, followed by South Korea (70 per cent) and the UK, the US, Australia and the Netherlands, each at 66 per cent.