A new research report from TrustMark “Consumer Protection in home improvements: Building a consumer centric approach” has revealed that consumers lack knowledge and understanding about the protections around home improvement work.
Trustmark says the report underlines not only the serious need for changes to consumer protection when home improvements are carried out, but also where improvements can be made for consumers along the whole project journey.
TrustMark’s research, carried out with over 1500 homeowners, indicated that the top three pieces of information that homeowners expected to receive were price (82%), a full job specification (71%) and payment terms (68%).
Information about how to complain and what redress they had sat towards the bottom of their expectations with less than a quarter (24%) expecting to get this information.
Overall, less than 6 in 10 households (58%) reported getting all of the information they expected.
Charlotte Carter, TrustMark’s Chief Operating Officer remarked, “Given the cost of home improvements along with the pressures on general cost of living increases, it’s not surprising homeowners have such a focus on how much work is going to cost and how they pay for it. But any improvement work in our homes is an investment – financially and emotionally and it’s vital that people know how they’re protected, who by and where to go if something goes wrong.”
This is further borne out by the finding that consumer knowledge of protections in home improvements significantly lags behind other ‘big ticket’ transactions such as new car purchases, holidays and financial services. Only 18% of homeowners interviewed rated their knowledge of protections as high compared to those other sectors. This rose to just 25% when asked of homeowners with recent experience of work being done.
Carter continued, “There has been a huge amount of change and consumer education in sectors such as financial services, car purchase and holidays over recent years. Items like holidays and financial products such as credit cards are also more likely to be purchased more frequently than a new kitchen or a heat pump so it’s understandable that people feel better informed in these areas. However, this reinforces the need for better, consistent and accurate information to be provided across home improvements.”
In summary, Carter said, “What came through loud and clear in our research is that consumers want simplification, clarity and surety when they invest in having work done in their home. These three things across all areas provide the basis for helping people to be better informed, make better decisions and achieve better results. Tradespeople have their part to play too by providing clear, comprehensive information up front and at the end of a job, and ensuring the right financial protections and guarantees are in place.”
