Vacation Means Renovation: Nearly 60 Percent of Poles Spend Summer Break Fixing Up Their Homes

A new survey reveals that almost six in ten working Poles dedicate at least part of their summer vacation to home renovations and interior upgrades.

Summer Renovations Across Poland

Nearly six out of ten working Poles have dedicated or intend to dedicate at least part of this year’s summer vacation to house or apartment-related work. 37.4% of respondents declare strictly minor refreshing work, including wall painting, minor repairs, or decor changes. Meanwhile, 21.9% plan or have already carried out a major renovation, such as of a kitchen, bathroom, or floors. Such work during the vacation is not anticipated by 28.3% of respondents, and 12.3% have not yet made a decision on the matter. The results of the latest study show that amidst rising labor costs, some Poles treat vacation as an opportunity to independently carry out or supervise renovation work.

Poles Entangled in Summer Renovations

A recently published report (authored by UCE Research and the Fachurra.pl platform) titled “Poles entangled in summer renovations,” based on a special public opinion survey, shows that 59.3% of working Poles have allocated or plan to devote part of this year’s holiday to work related to a house or apartment.

– Nearly six out of ten compatriots combine this year’s vacation with refreshing, repairing, or renovating a house or apartment. However, this result should not be interpreted as information that for all these persons the vacation will be entirely devoted to this type of work. The question concerned the allocation of at least part of the free time to such activities – comments Adam Skłodowski, a long-time interior finishing market expert.

Meanwhile, as psychologist Franciszek Ostaszewski from SWPS University emphasizes, vacation is for most households the only large, uninterrupted block of time in the year. On the other hand, renovations are time-consuming. They cannot be sensibly spread over evenings after work. Added to this is the economic calculation. If we allocate the aforementioned days to a renovation during which we independently perform even a part of the work, we replace expensive labor.

Improving Living Conditions and Comfort

– Probably for all people, the improvement of living conditions has a direct impact on their life comfort, sense of security, and quality of everyday functioning. Home is a place to build family and friendships, increasingly also a workspace, but above all – a place of rest. No wonder some people decide to allocate even a fraction of their vacation to raising the standard of their own house or apartment, since there is no possibility to do it at another time – states Paweł Szumlański from the Fachurra.pl platform.

Scope of Work: Minor Refreshing vs. Major Overhauls

Additionally, it is evident that 37.4% of Poles declare exclusively minor refreshing work, meaning wall painting, minor repairs, touch-ups, and decor changes among others. An additional 9.1% of respondents plan both minor jobs and a larger renovation. After combining these two groups, it turns out that any refreshing work concerns 46.5% of working compatriots.

– The obtained results indicate that the daily needs of apartment owners much more often concern minor repairs and technical work than large renovations. These are dozens of smaller tasks that appear quite frequently and there is no time for them. Home has become another project requiring our constant attention. And sometimes large renovation investments are added to this – adds Paweł Szumlański.

Furthermore, the report shows that a total of 21.9% of respondents carried out or intend to do a major renovation during the vacation, covering the kitchen or bathroom among others. This category also includes floor replacement and general room remodeling. This result consists of declarations of persons planning only a major renovation – 12.8%, as well as those combining it with minor work – 9.1%.

Economic Motivations and Time Management

– In my opinion, the percentage of people carrying out large renovations during vacations this year is high if we compare it with costs. It is estimated that specialist rates have increased by several or even a dozen or so percents compared to the 2024/2025 season. The increase in material prices is also noticeable year by year. However, I would read these indications not as a signal of improved wealth, but as an effect of accumulated, postponed needs – emphasizes Franciszek Ostaszewski.

The results of the report may suggest that a renovation during vacation is perceived as a way to save money. However, experts from the Fachurra.pl platform look at these data differently. From their perspective, it is about time. As they explain, for many people, vacation is the only moment in the year when they can deal with matters for which there is ordinarily no space. This shows how busy society is, but also that despite fatigue and the need for rest, so many Poles consciously allocate part of their free time to improving the place where they live.

– Free time is sometimes treated not only as a period of rest, but also as an organizational resource needed to supervise or independently conduct a renovation. The survey results do not indicate that all respondents perform this type of work themselves. Some people may use the vacation to be present on site, receive completed work, make ongoing decisions, or coordinate contractors – adds Adam Skłodowski.

Reasons for Postponing Renovations

Meanwhile, 28.3% of surveyed individuals do not intend to allocate their vacation to household chores, and 12.3% have not yet made a decision on this matter. As noted by the expert from the Fachurra.pl platform, some people do not declare carrying out a renovation because the apartment is in good condition or modernizations were carried out earlier. Others consciously separate vacation from duties and want to allocate it exclusively to rest, travel, or time with family. There are also renting respondents who have limited influence on renovation decisions.

– The decision to abandon such work is often determined by uncertainty regarding the final price. Renovations in practice almost always exceed the assumed budget and schedule. With unstable costs of materials and labor, postponing the decision seems safe, though – with rising rates – it can realistically be costly. For some households, the barrier is simpler anyway. Lack of funds or a conscious choice of a trip and time with family. A separate issue is the function of the vacation itself – growing awareness of costs and exhaustion makes many people deliberately protect this time from being burdened with another project – summarizes the expert from SWPS University.