- Over two thirds (69%) of Brits confess to splashing out on their homes to impress guests
- Men are more social-media conscious than women when it comes to their home
24 Jan 2016, London, UK: New research from homeware-for-less retailer HomeSense reveals that Brits typically spend £134 refreshing their homes to impress dinner guests. One in five (19%) confess to spending more than £250, 7% more than £500 and nearly one in ten (7%) have even bought a new TV before hosting a dinner party!
The research, which polled 2,000 men and women from ages 18 to over 60, highlights a new type of dinner party etiquette and found that nearly half of millennial men (43%) would refresh their home to impress a love interest, compared to women.
- Guests that primarily make us want to splash out on our homes are family (26%), friends (22%), love interests (17%) and bosses (7%)
- Top purchases to impress a dinner guests include flowers (33%), candles (29%) and cushions (21%)
- Women were found to be less concerned with impressing dinner guests, and 21% more likely to decorate due to day-to-day wear-and-tear
Offering homeware at to 60% less than the recommended retail price, HomeSense sources quality and branded products from around the globe, making buying those impressive finishing touches easier on the pocket and still impressive for important guests.
The HomeSense report also explored other reasons people splash out on their homes, finding that:
- Men are twice as likely to redecorate than women, knowing that pictures of their abode will be shared on social media
- Millennials (ages 18-34) are 30% more likely to redecorate their home after a breakup, compared to those aged 35+
Despite men being more conscious of social media than women when it comes to home décor, it is still the women who reign supreme. 40% of men admit that their partners buy the majority of home items with nearly half of male participants accepting help from their mothers and grandmothers.
The chart below highlights the top 10 items that people purchase when looking to impress a dinner guest.
| Top products Brits purchase | Ranking by % |
| Flowers / Pot Plant | 33% |
| Candles | 29% |
| Table Cloth | 23% |
| Cushions | 21% |
| Lamps | 14% |
| Rugs | 14% |
| Throw | 12% |
| Painting | 11% |
| Vase | 11% |
| TV | 7% |
Highest spending city breakdown as follows:
| Top spending cities | Ranking by £ |
| Bath | £358.40 |
| Gloucester | £282.30 |
| Chester | £245.80 |
| Least spend by city | Ranking by £ |
| St Albans | £12.60 |
| Salisbury | £25.00 |
| Carlisle | £41.70 |
