POLL: Do you keep up with your neighbours' home and garden?
Many of us are playing 'keeping up with the Joneses' and secretly competing with our neighbours, according to new research.
A survey of 1,005 UK homeowners by DiscountFlooringDepot.co.uk revealed 83 per cent of sneaky Brits secretly compete with their neighbours, while 60 per cent of homeowners look to their neighbours for inspiration before renovating their own home.
Almost half – or 48 per cent – of homeowners confessed to snooping around their neighbours' home through property search engines and estate agent sites, when houses have gone up for sale.
Gardens including decking, water features and landscaping took the top spot for features of the home most likely to be copied by nosey neighbours. While 47 per cent of Brits confessed they were more likely to upgrade their windows or doors if they noticed their neighbour did so first.
The data found Brits also copy their neighbours' interiors and finishing touches when planning to make improvements to their own home.
A fifth of homeowners confessed to upgrading their car in a bid to compete with other residents on their street. As more of us are opting to 'improve rather than move' 14 per cent of British homeowners admitted that they copied their neighbours' home extension.
Andrew Nesbitt, marketing manager at DiscountFlooringDepot.co.uk said: "Britons have always taken inspiration from others with their homes.
"By looking to those who live in similar houses and areas, this can provide great ideas and possibilities for their own living space.
"Homeowners should be flattered that neighbours are looking to their décor and style choices for inspiration, as the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."