Last year saw an unprecedented rise in demand for home improvement – up by 32% in just 12 months*, and new data from the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People now reveals where the biggest opportunities are for tradespeople in 2022.  

Uniquely placed with its own marketplace data, the findings are taken from the 2022 Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report where Rated People analysed more than 800,000 home improvement jobs on its platform posted by homeowners around the UK, in order to reveal which trades, and which towns and cities are seeing the biggest increases in demand.

The trades that had the biggest spikes in demand

Requests for driveway pavers shot up by 73% in just 12 months, painters and decorators had 61% more enquiries from homeowners when compared to the year before, and demand for traditional craftspeople increased by 53% in 2021.

Bathroom fitters, builders, stoneworkers, plasterers, kitchen specialists, roofers and cleaners also made the top 10 list of trades that have seen the biggest boom in demand.

 Top 10 trades with the biggest increase in demand in 2021:

1. Driveway pavers +73%
2. Painters and decorators +61%
3. Traditional craftspeople +53%
4. Bathroom fitters +50%
5. Builders +46%
6. Stoneworkers +46%
7. Plasterers +42%
8. Kitchen specialists +41%
9. Roofers +40%
10. Cleaners +39%

The places around the UK where demand increased the most

Llandrindod Wells in Wales saw demand increase by 131% in 2021 - the biggest rise in the whole of the UK, and two other places in Wales also make the top 10 – third place Llandudno saw demand go up by 76% and demand increased by 66% in seventh place Swansea. 

Many coastal areas feature in the top 10 towns and cities that have seen demand increase the most, including Llandudno and Swansea in Wales, and Torquay and Brighton in England, which is likely because so many homeowners relocated to areas away from big cities with more space.

The top 10 areas where demand for tradespeople increased the most in 2021:

1. Llandrindod Wells +131%
2. Dumfries and Galloway +86%
3. Llandudno +76%
4. Exeter +71%
5. Harrogate +68%
6. Truro +66%
7. Swansea +66%
8. Torquay +60%
9. Brighton 58%
10. Carlisle +58%

How tradespeople can capitalise on surging demand

The home improvement boom of 2021 doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, as 86% of tradespeople say they’re ‘very busy’ this year. So, to capitalise on the opportunities brought about by plentiful demand, many tradespeople are optimising their businesses for the short term, whilst also future-proofing their operations for years to come.

Almost half of UK tradespeople (45%) say they’re investing in new tools and vehicles this year, and many are also focussing on marketing and promotion – one in three (30%) are improving their website and social channels and one in four (27%) are investing in marketing to attract new business.

How tradespeople are adapting their business in 2022:

1. Investing in new tools and vehicles – 45% (of UK tradespeople are doing this in 2022)
2. Hiring more staff to complete the work – 36%
3. Improving their website and social channels – 30%
4. Investing in marketing/ advertising to attract more business – 27%
5. Expanding skillset to offer more services - 26%
6. Expanding into different locations – 21%
7. Forming partnerships to facilitate more jobs – 14%
8. Hiring support for business/ admin operations - 10%

The most in-demand home improvement jobs

More than one in three homeowners (38%) want to revitalise their homes with a lick of paint this year. One in five (21%) are keen to have a new carpet and just under 20% of UK homeowners want to have some garden landscaping completed this year.

The top 15 jobs that homeowners want to do the most in 2022 includes staples like new kitchens and new bathrooms, but pandemic-influenced improvements like creating multifunctional space, home bars and outdoor entertaining areas are also now more popular than ever.

The home improvement jobs UK homeowners want to do the most in 2022:

1. Painting – 38% (of UK homeowners want to do this this year)
2. New carpet – 21%
3. Garden landscaping – 19%
4. New bathroom – 14%
5. New wooden flooring – 12%
6. New kitchen – 11%
7. Tiling – 11%
8. New windows – 11%
9. Creating multifunctional spaces – 11%
10. Building an outdoor entertaining area – 9%
11. New roof – 8%
12. Creating a home bar – 7%
13. Adding an extension – 7%
14. Loft conversion – 7%
15. Adding a garden room – 7%

When looking at how homeowners are planning to invest their renovation budget in 2022 – their biggest priorities are around maximising space and enhancing the functionality of their homes in 2022. In fact, four of the top five improvements that homeowners want to spend the most money on are all around space optimisation.

The home improvements homeowners want to spend the most money on in 2022:

1. Building an extension - £18,580 (average planned spend for this job)
2. Building an annex - £16,731
3. Adding an en-suite bathroom - £15,885
4. New conservatory/orangery - £15,564
5. Building a wall to create separate rooms - £13,977
6. Creating a home bar - £13,939
7. Creating a home gym - £13,574
8. New kitchen - £12,057
9. New porch - £11,252
10. Adapting a room to make it multifunctional - £10,772

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People commented:? 

“The pandemic brought about lots of challenges for tradespeople to navigate, but it’s also given rise to a huge increase in demand for their services as more people want to adapt the homes that they’re now spending so much more time in.

More homeowners than ever are looking for tradespeople and we want to help trades across the UK make the most of this time for their business success. So, if you’re looking for ways to attract more customers, head to Rated People to find out more.” 

To see the full research and the latest edition of the Home Improvement Trends Report, visit: https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/home-improvement-trends-report