2023’s Largest Dwelling Enchancment Tendencies

For insights on the largest traits in renovation and residential enchancment, check out the Rated Individuals Dwelling Enchancment Tendencies Report 2023

Welcome to this yr’s report – the fourth annual version, and we hope that is the largest and finest one but.

This yr’s version of the Rated Individuals Dwelling Enchancment Tendencies Report leverages our proprietary information and nationwide analysis and it’s stuffed with insights for owners, homebuyers and tradespeople.  

With tips about find out how to renovate extra affordably and sustainably, and insights into the place the largest alternatives are for tradespeople, the 2023 report might be a beneficial software for anybody who desires to get essentially the most out of their dwelling enchancment jobs this yr.  

To create this yr’s report, we analysed greater than 1 million dwelling enchancment jobs posted via Rated Individuals. We additionally spoke to hundreds of tradespeople, owners and homebuyers throughout the UK – and these are the highest 5 largest dwelling enchancment traits for 2023. 

2023’s Largest Dwelling Enchancment Tendencies

Pattern #1 – The ‘Race For House’ Is Over  

This yr, alongside the standard staples like portray and adorning, new kitchens and loos, owners wish to create higher storage, walk-in wardrobes, saunas, dwelling bars, video games rooms and playrooms. The pandemic meant folks wanted to adapt their houses for brand spanking new methods of residing – from working at dwelling to home-schooling – however this yr, it’ll all be about injecting enjoyable again into the house.     

Key inside design traits for 2023 might be earthy color palettes, curved strains, biophilic design and pure supplies. Inexperienced, beige and taupe might be key color traits and damaged plan has now firmly taken over open plan.  

Pattern #2 – The Dwelling Enchancment Squeeze 

In comparison with 2020, demand for dwelling enchancment and tradespeople in 2022 was nonetheless up by 23%. However, with the growing price of vitality and the rising price of residing, demand diminished by 15% in 2022 in comparison with 2021.  

This yr, as folks throughout the UK are understandably trying to rein in spending, fewer owners are planning dwelling enhancements – 35% say they may undoubtedly be enhancing their houses, which is down from 52% in 2022, and 26% say they’re not sure.  

The price of supplies and operational prices for tradespeople have risen significantly over the previous two years and this may proceed to push up costs for dwelling enchancment jobs in 2023. 9 in 10 tradespeople anticipate their prices to extend additional this yr, and in consequence 86% of tradespeople might want to enhance their costs for owners by a mean of 17%.  

Due to this, virtually half of UK owners (who’re planning work), are apprehensive they gained’t have the funds for to finish the tasks they needed to do in 2023 and virtually three in 4 UK tradespeople anticipate to have work drop out due to the rising price of residing. 

The price-of-living disaster can also be impacting important and emergency dwelling upkeep jobs. Shut to 2 in three UK owners will postpone important dwelling upkeep jobs this yr. Of the 36% of householders who recognized at the least one important dwelling upkeep job that they gained’t be capable to do in 2023, one in 5, which is the equal of round 1 million households, gained’t be capable to restore or service their boiler, which may very well be deadly if a fault goes unchecked. And shockingly, one in 11 owners say they must go with out meals in the event that they skilled a house upkeep emergency that couldn’t be postpone. 

Pattern #3 – Owners Are Renovating To Beat The Property Market  

With excessive property costs and rates of interest, many individuals at the moment are selecting to both renovate their present dwelling, or purchase a property in want of labor to create the house of their goals for much less cash. Near half of householders (who might be doing dwelling enchancment work this yr) say they’ll be taking over a full renovation challenge and an additional 23% say they’re contemplating it.   

Virtually two in three tradespeople anticipate to work on renovation tasks in 2023, and effectively over half assume demand for renovations will enhance this yr. The price of dwelling enchancment work is impacting the varieties of jobs that might be most in demand. In 2021, it will have price round £24,000 on common to finish a renovation of a three-bed semi within the UK. In 2023, the identical work will price simply over £34,500, which implies renovations have elevated by greater than £10,000 for owners, or 46%, in simply two years.  

Pattern #4 – Owners Flip To Eco Dwelling Enhancements To Save Cash On Vitality Payments 

With rising vitality costs, virtually three in 4 UK owners say they’ll be utilizing their heating much less in 2023, and demand for eco dwelling enhancements is at a document excessive as extra owners attempt to lower the price of their vitality payments. Demand for photo voltaic panels has elevated by 222% in simply two years, and thermal insulation has elevated by 143%. 

9 in 10 UK owners wish to adapt their houses to make them extra vitality environment friendly and environmentally pleasant in 2023 and half of UK owners say saving cash on their payments is their largest motivator for putting in eco dwelling enhancements. 

Eight in 10 tradespeople are additionally planning to be extra eco-friendly in 2023 and it’s electricians, handypeople and loo fitters which are main the cost, with at the least 75% of the tradespeople in these trades in search of methods to work extra sustainably this yr.  

Extra owners are additionally in search of sustainable methods to renovate and adapt their houses to minimise their impression on the planet and get monetary savings within the course of. ‘Half updates’, like changing kitchen doorways as a substitute of ripping the entire kitchen out have gotten more and more in style, and 70% of tradespeople assume demand for half updates will enhance in 2023.  

Pattern #5 – A Commerce Occupation Is Now The Prime Selection For Individuals Wanting To Change Careers  

Searches on Google for ‘profession change’ have elevated by 38% within the final two years, and increasingly more folks at the moment are beginning to see the profitable alternatives accessible within the trades trade. One in 4 folks within the UK would now be focused on working as a tradesperson, and extra individuals who wish to change careers in 2023 want to work as a tradesperson over every other line of labor.  

With workforce shortages being felt throughout the trade, the alternatives inside the trades are huge. One in three tradespeople at the moment working say they switched careers to work of their commerce, and shut to 2 in three say they now make more cash as a tradesperson than they did of their earlier profession.  

Virtually 9 in 10 tradespeople assume extra younger folks also needs to contemplate a commerce profession – however slightly below half of UK adults say they weren’t supplied a commerce profession of their profession recommendation after they had been in class. Positively although, it seems issues may very well be beginning to change for the youthful era as there was a 40% rise in commerce coaching and enrolments in 2022.