The focus that our homes receive seems to be unabated; almost every advert break for almost every program seems to contain an ad trying to push us towards some sort of home improvement or property deal. Sure, it’s one common theme that touches almost every person watching, but it seems like perhaps it is something more? This article looks at the phenomenon of modern housing and people attitudes towards it.
The sheer number of TV programs that show homes as a lifestyle accessory rather than a place to live is almost bewildering. What used to be a home is not a property investment, and people who are simply living in them rather than constantly renovating are looked on as being ‘left behind’ – this is the 21st century, simply living in a house is last century thinking.
The idea that increasing the worth of your house is a positive move is obviously not a new idea, people have been adding conservatories and other extensions to make the most of their houses for many years. But only a few generations ago the idea of constantly trading your home, moving around to scale the housing ladder, would be a totally foreign concept.
Is our obsession with home improvement just the embodiment of our need to have some creative forces in our lives? With people working long hours and leaving little time for recreation outside of the family, do some people find the idea of making their mark on the place that they live deeply satisfying as it brings an element of creativity to their lives? It also taps into the idea of controlling your surroundings – with world affairs being so reported and the weight of the world bright into every news broadcast people can find it reassuring to take control of the environment they inhabit. It provides a feeling of solidity and safety in a world that often seems uncontrollable.
Whether this is a positive effect probably depends on who is asked. For people earning less money will find it difficult to compete with the high-flying people they are presented with on television. Furthermore, the attitudes that homes are no longer simply for living in, they are property in which simply MUST increase in value could be viewed as a dangerous position. Investments made in improvements such as garage conversions must be made on both a practical and financial terms. As we have seen with the recent financial difficulties, property markets can go both up and down. The only certainty in property markets is the uncertainty over long term values.
Tags: Home Improvement
