The renovators. It sounds a bit like a band name, doesn’t it? If such a band were to exist, it should definitely be the Band from Down Under. Why? Because it turns out that New Zealand and Australia are two of the world’s top three countries when it comes to doing renovations.
I can’t say that surprises me. I haven’t travelled in other countries extensively, but I find it hard to imagine visiting a place with more renovations on the go than in my home city of Melbourne.
To achieve my daily and weekly step targets, I’ll often choose a different suburb to pound the pavement. This allows me to take in a bit of history and architecture from various periods along the way.
It also allows me to realise just how many are underway, particularly in the older suburbs. Inner-suburban renovations I see often involve workers’ cottages getting an extension at the back and/or up to cater for growing families.
Such upgrades are being replicated around the country – and across the ditch – it seems.
The renovations ‘big three’
So, just how are the world’s renovation rankings calculated? And which is the third country in the top three?
Comparison site Compare the Market charged its home loan experts with the task of ranking the countries. The experts used Google search data for 50 different countries, using multiple search terms, to see which country has the highest interest in home renovation.
The Down Under duo – Australia and New Zealand – both did us proud, but our Kiwi cousins have claimed the trophy. That’s right, while we might be very good at rugby and renovations, New Zealanders are better at both.
New Zealand was the country with the highest total search volume for the related phrases the experts looked at. It was the terms ‘bathroom renovation’ and ‘kitchen renovation’ that got them over the line.
NZ had the top per capita ranking for both of those phrases. The Kiwis came fifth using simply ‘renovation’ and second overall for ‘laundry renovation’.
Well, at least Australia came second, didn’t we?
I’m afraid not. Sneaking ahead of us to grab the silver medal is Singapore.
Singaporeans had the second-highest number of searches for ‘renovation’, the fourth-highest for ‘kitchen renovation’ and fifth-highest for ‘laundry renovation’. That was enough for them to claim second place, just ahead of us Aussies.
Nevertheless, Australia has a place on the dais, our searches earning us third place overall. And there’s one particular type in which we lead the world by a long way: ‘laundry renovation’.
Our search count using that phrase came in at number one overall with a 6.13 searches per month per 100,000 people. That’s way ahead of second-place New Zealand’s 2.24 per month per 100,000.
Australia ranked second in ‘kitchen renovation’ searches, third for ‘bedroom renovation’, and fifth in searching for ‘bathroom renovation’.
Why are Australians among the most eager renovators in the world? Compare the Market’s James McCay believes reality shows such as Channel Nine’s The Block are a likely factor.
Another probable one was the Australian government providing grants to help the construction industry during the COVID pandemic.
Our generally good weather might play a part, too. Or maybe Australians just love knocking things down and rebuilding them.
Whatever the reasons, we love renovations more than almost anyone else on the planet.
Have you renovated recently? Or do you have plans to do so in the near future? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: How to survive a home renovation with your partner
