How Many Followers Would You Need to Finance Your Renovation?

Renovating a home, whether you’re doing a full house makeover, or focusing solely on one room, can be costly.  

From large projects that include upgrades like an extension, new roof windows or a conservatory, to smaller tasks like building new decking or adding extra insulation - there’s a lot to consider and budget for, with many people deciding to do some of the works themselves to save some cash.

Renovation Inspiration 

Many of us turn to social media to find inspiration - whether it’s Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram or YouTube - the world’s most followed home renovation accounts can rack up hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views.

And for those with a big enough following, the benefits can be huge, with brand deals, ad revenue and sponsored posts giving renovators the opportunity to finance their latest projects, just from their social influence.
 
But just how many followers, views, and posts would you need to bring in enough money to cover the cost of different renovation and building works?

How To Get Your Renovation for Free  

From loft conversions, to a new kitchen – we've consulted different industry sources to calculate an average cost for a whole range of different renovation and DIY tasks.

Using social media industry estimates, we’ve then calculated the number of social engagements, including views on YouTube and TikTok, and followers on Instagram, that you would need to finance a whole renovation and each individual task.

On TikTok, it’s possible to earn £0.02 to £0.03 per 1,000 views. On YouTube, the average YouTube creator receives £5.75 per 1,000 views (assuming that everybody watches the ads on their channel), and on Instagram, influencers need at least 5k followers to start earning, and then they can earn around £250 per sponsored post.

 

woman sat behind wooden kitchen table

Our research shows a full renovation would cost around £70,000 for a three-bed house (for all labour and materials) and that would include:

 

Renovation

Cost 

Full Kitchen Renovation

£11,500

Bi-Fold Doors Out Into the Garden

£5,500

Full Bathroom Renovation

£5,500

Replastering Walls and Ceilings

£12,000

New Windows Throughout

£3,500

Full Electrical Rewire

£5,750

Internal Painting Throughout

£2,600

Painting All Internal Doors

£350

Replacing All Skirting Boards

£1,925

New Wooden Flooring Throughout

£5,850

New Central Heating System (Boiler and Radiators)

£3,500

Decking in Garden

£2,600

Patio in Garden

£1,950

New Lawn

£875

TOTAL

£70,200

 

To completely fund this level of renovation project from sponsorships, sponsored posts and ad revenue from your social media accounts, you’d need to rack up 3,052,173,913 views on TikTok or 12,208,696 views on YouTube or have 1,404,000 followers on Instagram.

Top 15 Renovation Projects That Require the Biggest Social Following to Finance

modern loft conversion bedroom

Unsurprisingly, it is the bigger projects that are the most expensive, and therefore would need the most views and followers on social media. 

Ranking as the most expensive part of a renovation, is a loft conversion, costing on average £45,000 to complete. To cover the cost, you'd need just under 1 million (900,000) Instagram followers, or a whopping 1.9 billion views on TikTok. To finance the project via YouTube, you would need 7.8 million views, so it’s fair to say that you’d need to go pretty viral or have built up a hefty following over time, to finance a new loft entirely from online activity.

For an extension, you’d need 750,000 Instagram followers, a garage conversion requires 290,000 followers on Instagram and to replaster your walls and ceilings, you need to get to 240,000 Instagram followers.  

 

Rank

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

1

Loft Conversion

45,000

45,000

1,956,521,739

7,826,087

900,000

2

Extension

37,500

37,500

1,630,434,783

6,521,739

750,000

3

Garage Conversion

14,500

14,500

630,434,783

2,521,739

290,000

4

Re-Plaster Walls & Ceilings (Re-Skim Existing)

12,000

12,000

521,739,130

2,086,957

240,000

5

Kitchen Renovation

3,500

8,000

11,500

500,000,000

2,000,000

230,000

6

Rendering Home Exterior

10,882

10,882

473,130,435

1,892,522

217,640

7

Conservatory

9,000

9,000

391,304,348

1,565,217

180,000

8

Underfloor Heating Throughout

2,100

5,600

7,700

334,782,609

1,339,130

154,000

9

New Roof

6,750

6,750

293,478,261

1,173,913

135,000

10

Engineered Wooden Flooring Install

2,350

3,500

5,850

254,347,826

1,017,391

117,000

11

Full Electrical Rewire

5,750

5,750

250,000,000

1,000,000

115,000

12

Bi-Fold Doors Out Into the Garden

800

4,750

5,550

241,304,348

965,217

111,000

13

Full Bathroom Renovation

4,500

1,000

5,500

239,130,435

956,522

110,000

14

Water Feature Installation

2,000

2500

4,500

195,652,174

782,609

90,000

15

Wet Room Installation

1,850

1,698

3,548

154,260,870

617,043

70,960

Top 15 Renovation Projects That Require the Smallest Social Following to Finance

cookbook on white kitchen counter

The least expensive renovation work is tiling above kitchen work surfaces. Costing around £275 on average for both installation and materials, you would only need 5,500 followers on Instagram to finance a new look for your kitchen surfaces, or around 11,956,522 views on TikTok. 

For a slightly more luxury renovation, prospective renovation Instagrammers would need 33,500 followers (or around 291,304 views on YouTube) to install a TV in the bathroom – perfect for wind-down after a long day of renovating houses (and posting about it afterwards, of course).  

Painting internal doors, a new front door and replacing a bath all feature in the top five, and each need under 13,000 Instagram followers and less than 115,000 views on YouTube.

 

Rank

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

1

Tile Above Kitchen Work Surface up to Wall Cupboards

275

275

11,956,522

47,826

5,500

2

Painting All Internal Doors

350

350

15,217,391

60,870

7,000

3

New Front Door

85

350

435

18,913,043

75,652

8,700

4

Replacing the Bath

650

650

28,260,870

113,043

13,000

5

Underfloor Heating Fitted in Kitchen

300

500

800

34,782,609

139,130

16,000

6

Garden Shed

300

550

850

36,956,522

147,826

17,000

7

New Lawn

875

875

38,043,478

152,174

17,500

8

Repainting Kitchen Cupboards

900

900

39,130,435

156,522

18,000

9

Retile Bathroom - Floor and Walls

750

360

1,110

48,260,870

193,043

22,200

10

External Painting

1,300

1,300

56,521,739

226,087

26,000

11

Artificial Grass

1,350

1,350

58,695,652

234,783

27,000

12

Knocking a Wall Down

1,475

1,475

64,130,435

256,522

29,500

13

Installing a Downstairs Toilet

1,000

650

1,650

71,739,130

286,957

33,000

14

Bathroom TV (including the TV)

175

1,500

1,675

72,826,087

291,304

33,500

15

Replacing Skirting Boards (per Room)

1,925

1,925

83,695,652

334,783

38,500

Social Following Required to Finance Bathroom Projects  

ceramic bowls on wooden bathroom counter

If you wanted to completely transform your bathroom with a full renovation, it would cost around £5,500 – to finance this, you’d need over 239 million views on TikTok, or almost 1 million views on YouTube or 110,000 Instagram followers.  

For other individual bathroom renovation projects, a wet room installation would cost you just over £3,500 or 70,960 Instagram followers, and a bathroom TV would need just 33,500 followers (or £1,675).  

 

Renovation

Installation Cost (£) 

Materials Cost (£) 

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Full Bathroom Renovation 

4,500 

1,000 

5,500 

239,130,435 

956,522 

110,000 

Wet Room Installation 

1,850 

1,698 

3,548 

154,260,870 

617,043 

70,960 

Bathroom TV (Including the TV) 

175 

1,500 

1,675 

72,826,087 

291,304 

33,500 

Re-Tile Bathroom - Floor and Walls 

750 

360 

1,110 

48,260,870 

193,043 

22,200 

Replacing the Bath 

650 

650 

28,260,870 

113,043 

13,000 

Social Following Required to Finance Kitchen Projects 

bright modern open plan kitchen

In the kitchen, again, it’s a full room renovation that will cost you the most, with the average kitchen renovation costing £11,500. This is the equivalent of 500 million views on TikTok or over 2 million views on YouTube, meaning you’d have to get creating some great content to finance this particular renovation work. 

A smaller job in the kitchen would be to just repaint the kitchen cupboards – this would sert you back by around £900 on average, or 39 million views on TikTok.

 

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Kitchen Renovation 

3,500 

8,000 

11,500 

500,000,000 

2,000,000 

230,000 

Bi-fold Doors Out Into Garden 

800 

4,750 

5,550 

241,304,348 

965,217 

111,000 

Repainting Kitchen Cupboards 

900 

900 

39,130,435 

156,522 

18,000 

Tile Above Kitchen Work Surface Up to Wall Cupboards 

275 

275 

11,956,522 

47,826 

5,500 

 

Social Following Required to Finance Full House Projects 

messy room dilapidated

When looking at renovation projects that cover the whole house, replastering the walls and ceilings is the most expensive job, with the work costing £12,000 on average to carry out. This is the equivalent of over 520 million views on TikTok or a fairly large following of around 240,000 on Instagram.

 

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Re-Plaster Walls & Ceilings (Re-Skim Existing) 

12,000 

12,000 

521,739,130 

2,086,957 

240,000 

Engineered Wooden Flooring Install 

2,350 

3,500 

5,850 

254,347,826 

1,017,391 

117,000 

Full Electrical Rewire 

5,750 

5,750 

250,000,000 

1,000,000 

115,000 

New UPVC Windows Throughout

3,500 

3,500 

152,173,913 

608,696 

70,000 

New Central Heating System (Boiler and Radiators)

3,500 

3,500 

152,173,913 

608,696 

70,000 

Internal Painting Throughout 

2,600 

2,600 

113,043,478 

452,174 

52,000 

New Carpet Fitting Throughout Home 

270 

2,238 

2,508 

109,043,478 

436,174 

50,160 

Replacing Skirting Boards (per Room) 

1,925 

1,925 

83,695,652 

334,783 

38,500 

Underfloor Heating Fitted in Kitchen 

300 

500 

800 

34,782,609 

139,130 

16,000 

Painting All Internal Doors 

350 

350 

15,217,391 

60,870 

7,000 

Social Following Required to Finance Building Works Projects

grey tiled roof

On the smaller end of the scale, knocking down a wall (great for opening up space in your home) is the least expensive way type of building renovation work. Costing around £1,475 on average to carry out, you would only need 29,500 Instagram followers to finance the work.  

At the other end of the scale, a loft conversion – typically costing around £45,000 – would require almost 1 million followers on Instagram – the highest number of followers and views required of all the renovation works we analysed.

  

Renovation

Average Total Cost (£)

TikTok Views

YouTube Views

Instagram Followers

Loft Conversion 

45,000 

1,956,521,739 

7,826,087 

900,000 

Building an Extension 

37,500 

1,630,434,783 

6,521,739 

750,000 

New Roof 

6,750 

293,478,261 

1,173,913 

135,000 

New Staircase 

2,750 

119,565,217 

478,261 

55,000 

Knocking Wall Down 

1,475 

64,130,435 

256,522 

29,500 

 

Social Following Required to Finance Garden Projects 

outdoor dining set on garden patioRenovating your garden is a great way to create more space to live in, particularly in the summer months, with projects ranging from a small garden shed, to the installation of decking. 

New decking in the garden would cost around £2,600 – the equivalent of 52,000 Instagram followers or over 450,000 YouTube views. For those just starting out with their social profile, a garden shed costs just £850 - the equivalent of 17,000 followers on Instagram.  

 

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Water Feature Installation 

2,000 

2500 

4,500 

195,652,174 

782,609 

90,000 

Summer House 

1625 

1750 

3375 

146,739,130 

586,957 

67,500 

New Garden Decking 

2,600 

2,600 

113,043,478 

452,174 

52,000 

Laying a Patio 

1,950 

1,950 

84,782,609 

339,130 

39,000 

Artificial Grass 

1,350 

1,350 

58,695,652 

234,783 

27,000 

New Lawn 

875 

875 

38,043,478 

152,174 

17,500 

Garden Shed 

300 

550 

850 

36,956,522 

147,826 

17,000 

 

Social Following Required to Finance External Works Projects 

two level british home exterior

For work on the exterior of the home, it was a new front door which ranked in as the cheapest project to undertake. Costing around £435, budding influencers would only need just over 75,000 views on YouTube or 8,700 followers on Instagram.

For bigger projects, including a garage conversion or rendering the outside of a house, you’d need to build up 290,000 followers or between 1.8 and 2.5 million views in order to finance the work.

 

Renovation

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Garage Conversion 

14,500 

14,500 

630,434,783 

2,521,739 

290,000 

Rendering House Exterior

10,882 

10,882 

473,130,435 

1,892,522 

217,640 

New Porch 

200 

1750 

1,950 

84,782,609 

339,130 

39,000 

External Painting  

1,300 

1,300 

56,521,739 

226,087 

26,000 

New Front Door 

85 

350 

435 

18,913,043 

75,652 

8,700 

Social Following Required to Finance Ground Floor Works Projects 

patio and conservatory in a village property

Building a conservatory would require you to have the biggest following. Over 1.5 million YouTube views or 180,000 Instagram followers are needed to finance the conservatory building works, which on average cost around £9,000.

 

Renovation element  

Installation

Cost (£)

Materials

Cost (£)

Total

Cost (£)

TikTok

Views

YouTube

Views

Instagram

Followers

Building a Conservatory 

9,000 

9,000 

391,304,348 

1,565,217 

180,000 

Underfloor Heating Throughout 

2,100 

5,600 

7,700 

334,782,609 

1,339,130 

154,000 

Installing a Downstairs Toilet  

1,000 

650 

1,650 

71,739,130 

286,957 

33,000 

 

Tom Pallot, a Digital Strategist at Definition Agency, recently renovated his home and started a renovation Instagram account.

“Our renovation took just under a year. To save on costs, we got quotes for every single aspect and then trimmed down to suit our budget – including allowing for an extra 10-15% for the inevitable extra costs. 

We also carried out a lot of the smaller jobs ourselves. We stripped wallpaper, washed down walls, filled in and then painted. We also sanded down and varnished the wooden floors and completely cleared out the overgrown and coal bunker filled garden - relaying lawn and replanting the border.  

The whole renovation cost around £60,000 and we saved around £10,000 by doing some of the work ourselves.  

To find inspiration, we followed property Instagram accounts like Farrow and BallLouise Roe Home, and Home and Gardens UK. 

We did start a renovation account on Instagram (@seeking_southsea) – but it was too much of a commitment to maintain!”

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Methodology and Sources:

We used building industry sources (listed below) to reveal the labour and material costs of completing a range of building and home renovation works. We then, using leading social media industry insights (also listed below) on the monetary value of one follower or view, calculated how many followers and views you would need on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to finance each of the renovation works.

Social Media Sources:

Renovation Cost Sources: