Average parent spends more than £5,000 decorating their child’s bedroom, poll claims

Six in 10 make sure their child's room is ready for them before birth

(Getty)

Parents will spend more than £5,300 decorating their child’s nursery and bedrooms before they turn 10, according to a new poll.

The survey of 2,000 mothers and fathers found six in 10 made sure their new son or daughter’s room was ready for them before the birth, spending around £853 on new furniture, decor and soft furnishings.

With parents redecorating their children’s rooms at least once every two years - parting with £900 each time - a further £4,500 will be spent before their 10th birthday.

But while 42 per cent admitted to spending too much money on their child’s nursery, 37 per cent did not mind how much it cost as long as their child was happy.

More than half of fathers (54 per cent), polled thought they spent too much time and money on decorating the nursery - compared to just 35 per cent of mothers.

And 68 per cent of parents surveyed agreed that the design and decor of a nursery was important, spending an average of 20 hours to make sure everything is just so.

It also emerged more parents now choose neutrals or bright colours such as grey or yellow (57 per cent), while just 36 per cent opted for the 'traditional' pink for a girl and blue for a boy.

“It’s a special time for parents planning and preparing the nursery, thinking about the aesthetics and the practicality of the room," said a spokesman for Next Home which commissioned the poll.

“There is so much inspiration and help around choosing the colour scheme and buying furniture and accessories to create the perfect calm, safe space for the baby. Parents also want to put time and thought into how the space can grow and evolve, from baby to child and onward.”

The poll also found the furniture was given the most thought, as 28 per cent said this took the longest to decide on when planning their baby’s nursery.

This was followed by the colour scheme (26 per cent), the layout of the room (17 per cent) and the theme (17 per cent).

Animals were the most popular theme choice for baby bedrooms, followed by jungles or forests, princesses, superheroes and unicorns.

It also emerged more than a third bought all-new items for their baby’s nursery and 37 per cent bought a few second-hand items while 25 per cent reckon they bought more second hand than they did new.

Older parents who are now aged over 55 were more likely to hit the shops, with 57 per cent buying everything new.

The cot is considered the most important item to get right in the nursery, while others wished they had spent more on a baby monitor (24 per cent), baby bouncer (26 per cent) or the wallpaper (20 per cent).

But 21 per thought they spent too much money on the cot mobile while almost a fifth think they paid too much for a changing table.

When it came to the inspiration for their baby’s nursery more than a quarter took ideas from friends’ or relatives’ homes.

SWNS