Brits are hoarding THIS home-improvement gem – but it could boost the value of your property

There is rarely anything that can't be improved by a lick of paint. And now new research has revealed that Brits are sitting on millions of litres of this home improvement essential, without making the link between paint and their property's potential.

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The figures from home improvement retailer Wickes reveal that 139 million litres of unused paint are currently gathering dust in households the length and breadth of the country. That's enough to cover over 250,000 football pitches!

Unsurprisingly, 66 per cent of homeowners struggle to find a way to repurpose the paint they have left over from numerous DIY projects. Instead, they end up leaving unopened paint tins in garden sheds (32 per cent), garages (23 per cent) and underneath the stairs (15 per cent).

Further insights from the research found that almost half (44 per cent) of those surveyed confessed that they were living with unfinished home improvement projects. Presumably because they couldn't face the prospect of picking up a paintbrush for a second time.

Debbie Jackson, 55, a Business Development Director from London revealed: 'My cellar is filled with tins of paint. I hardly have any storage space left. We’ve probably got as many variations of ‘white’ as you would find in a store! With Christmas and New Year fast approaching my husband has promised me that we will use them to get the house looking its best for the festive season. If we could declutter our cellar and spruce up the house at the same time, I would be very happy.'

The research also went on to outline that when Brits do put to put their paint stocks to good use, more of the nation are opting to paint their sheds in their favourite shade, rather than their bedrooms. This could reflect the fact that the quality of a property's exterior has almost become as important as the quality of its interior for both homeowners and potential buyers.

And when it comes to the room in the home that's most likely to get a regular paint refresh, bathrooms came out on top, with homeowners repainting this space almost every two years.

Further figures also showed that Brits may be hanging on to left over paint because they're unaware of how to properly dispose of it. That was the case for three in five (60 per cent) of those questioned. In fact, firms such as PaintCare and Community Repaint can collect paint that is no longer needed from households and either reuse or remanufacture it. They can also redistribute it at an affordable price to individuals, families, communities and charities.

'It’s very common to find paint collections in sheds or garages,' says  Yvonne Kelly, Paint Category Manager at Wickes. 'Although we were surprised to learn the true extent and volume of paint stored in homes across the country.'

'We hope that our insight will encourage people to put their stored paint to good use. And there’s no better time than now to give your home an update ahead of the festive season.'

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So whatever your situation, there really is a purpose for your paint.