More than half of British homeowners spend money on extensions and renovations they end up unhappy with, often because of misjudging UK weather, according to a new study.
Renovation Priorities Out of Sync with Climate
For decades, homeowners planning extensions, loft conversions and major renovations have focused on creating more space, bigger rooms and brighter interiors. But after another summer of exceptional heat, home-design experts warn that renovation priorities need to change to cater for soaring temperatures.
Britain has experienced temperatures of 35°C or higher across May, June, July and August 2026, and the Met Office warns that hot spells are expected to become more frequent. Yet a study of 2,000 UK homeowners commissioned by roof window manufacturer VELUX suggests many are still making important decisions about how their home will feel only after building work has begun, or once it is too late.
Natural Light and Wellbeing
Among people who had completed an extension, just 40% said the finished space had about the right amount of natural light, meaning more than half did not. More than one in eight (13%) said they wished they had focused more on designing the space to include natural light, while one in ten said they would spend more time in their renovated space if it had better daylight.
The research reveals a wider disconnect between the things homeowners prioritise before renovating and the features they value once they live in the property. Two in five Europeans (40%) say daylight affects their physical or mental wellbeing, yet home-improvement decisions continue to be driven primarily by appearance.
Experts Call for a Mentality Shift
When homeowners who had completed an extension were asked about their original priorities, maximising additional space came top at 37%, followed by natural light at 35% and energy efficiency at 24%. Yet when asked which features they believe add value to a property, lots of natural light came top at 51%, ahead of building structure, transport links and décor.
Mark Hood, Director of Architecture at Resi, said: "For years the brief from homeowners planning extensions has essentially been 'more space, more glass, more light.' But as our summers become hotter, we need a mentality shift in the way we approach renovations. Our European neighbours are already accustomed to designing homes around hotter summers, considering ventilation, orientation and external shading from the outset. In Britain we've traditionally tried to capture as much sunlight as possible, now we need to be better at managing it. It's not about creating darker homes, it's about designing smarter - balancing daylight with shading, ventilation and year-round comfort - so the homes we create today are fit for the climate of the future."
Future-Proofing Existing Homes
A new European Green Paper, The Housing We Need For The Future We Want, developed by the VELUX Group alongside the Building Performance Institute Europe and other partners, argues that the future of housing cannot be solved simply by constructing more buildings. Around 85% of today's European building stock is expected to still be standing in 2050.
The report argues that improving and adapting existing homes will be critical to tackling the connected challenges of climate change, energy security, housing affordability and health. Richard Williams, Senior Architectural Development Manager at VELUX, said: "British homes have historically been designed with keeping warm at the forefront of our thinking. But as the climate changes, we increasingly need to consider how those same homes perform at the other end of the thermometer. We shouldn't have to choose between a bright home and a comfortable home. Daylight, shading, ventilation and thermal comfort need to work together to create spaces that remain comfortable throughout the year. Many of the homes we're renovating today will still be standing in decades to come, so we need to future-proof them for the climate they'll experience - not simply the climate we've been used to."
