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High-tech features are on the rise in updated bathrooms, according to the 2016 UK Houzz Bathroom Trends Survey. The survey of more than 2,000 UK homeowners using Houzz who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a bathroom project found that 16% of updated showers, 11% of updated toilets, and 6% of updated baths have high-tech features, such as digital shower controls, mood lighting and motion activated toilet cover and seat.

Homeowners are also investing in luxurious features in their upgraded bathrooms to create spaces worth lingering in. In fact, nearly half of renovating homeowners (47%) said that a bathroom that will help them to relax is a top functional priority, only trailing behind a bathroom that is easy to clean and disinfect (62%). Popular luxury features include rainfall showerheads (71% of upgraded showers), towel warming rack (71% of new bathroom features) and baths with room for two (24% of upgraded baths).

Renovating homeowners are likely adding these luxurious touches given the amount of time they spend in their bathrooms – 52% occupy this room for 30-60 minutes daily, and 7% are there for over an hour a day. Now more than ever, this includes spending time on their mobile devices. More than half of respondents use their smartphone or tablet in the bathroom at least once a week (52%). Checking email, using social media, and texting are the most common activities, (25%, 22% and 21%, respectively).

Nine in ten homeowners change the style of their bathroom during their project (94%), gravitating toward contemporary, Scandinavian or Victorian styles in their upgraded rooms (50%, 8% and 7%, respectively). This shift in style is likely due to the fact that a significant number of UK homeowners wait 16 years or longer to update their bathrooms (42%). Given the infrequency of bathroom renovations, homeowners choose neutral palettes that stand the test of time, including white walls and grey floors (36% and 35%, respectively), and white cabinets and worktops (47% and 31%, respectively).

Additional findings include:

• Personalising a new home: The top trigger for starting a bathroom renovation is the desire to make a newly purchased home one’s own (41%), followed by no longer being able to stand the old one (31%). More than one quarter are tackling a bathroom that deteriorated or broke down (28%)
• Major Upgrades: The majority of renovating homeowners replace major bathroom features including wall finishes (92%), flooring (90%), basins (89%), taps and other plumbing fixtures (88%), and toilets (86%).
• Budget vs. Spend: While just over a third of renovating homeowners who are updating their bathrooms budget more than £5,000 for their projects (36 percent), more than half spend over £5,000 (51 percent), indicating that initial budgets do not always line up with actual costs.
• Pro Hiring Key: The majority of homeowners are hiring professionals to help with their bathroom projects (90%). Top professionals hired include building specialists (69%), bathroom installers (38%) and bathroom designers (20%).