Instead, they are swapping professional tradesmen for hammers and nails, and opting to do the work themselves.
Reforms to bathrooms and kitchens are the most common, with 61% of homeowners making improvements. But with DIY on the up, they are doing it more cheaply.
With the average household spending less than €6,000 on home improvements in 2015, the market has dipped by 15% according to property website fotocasa.es.