The public's growing appetite for making home improvements to their properties has resulted in the disappearance of 2.9 million rooms over the past five years, one new report has suggested.

A growing fondness for open plan living is reportedly behind the trend, with more and more Brits demolishing internal walls to create larger and airier rooms.

Dining rooms are the most popular part of the house to knock through, with some 590,000 set for demolition this year. The study by Halifax Home Insurance suggests the practice is becoming so popular that formal dining rooms could become all but extinct by 2020.

Other popular moves include the expansion of lounges by knocking through living rooms; the merging of studies with bedrooms; and the demolition of partitions separating utility rooms and kitchens.

Commenting on the national trend, David Rochester, Halifax Home Insurance head of underwriting, said: "Britons have clearly fallen for open plan living and are looking at ways in which they can make better use of the space inside their homes."

Research conducted last year found that one of the top three reasons Brits take out personal loans is to make home improvements such as installing double glazing or renovating a kitchen.


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Author:  Joanne McCabe

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