The majority of bathroom fitters (88%) expect work to drop out, with sinking demand for home improvements, according to recent research.

A study by the find-a-tradesperson platform, Rated People has revealed the UK is headed for a  ‘home improvement squeeze’.  

Following the ‘home improvement boom’, where record numbers of homeowners improved their homes over the past few years, according to the research 35% of homeowners are definitely planning home improvements, down from 52% in 2022.  

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This year’s Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report analysed 1.1 million home improvement jobs posted through the Rated People platform by UK homeowners to uncover the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tradespeople and homeowners.  

It also revealed 94% of UK tradespeople experienced rising costs in 2022, and this year, 92% of tradespeople say their costs are increasing further.  

This year alone, 86% of tradespeople are reported to be raising their prices for homeowners, and on average tradespeople are increasing their prices by 17%. 

As a result, almost three in four (71%) tradespeople expect to have work drop out this year and 77% think homeowner demand will reduce.  

Nine in 10 (88%) bathroom fitters expect they’ll have less work this year, followed by 75% of carpenters and joiners, and 54% of plumbers believing their pipeline will shrink. 

To counteract the drop, around one in three (29%) tradespeople are investing in marketing and advertising this year to pull in more business. 

They’re also looking to expand their businesses to offer more services, improve their website/ social channels, potentially reduce prices where they can and expand into different locations. 

 CEO of Rated People Adrienne Minster said: “The big home improvement boom of past years was incredible for tradespeople. But now, with fewer homeowners able to have work done, 2023 is set to be a more challenging landscape for them to navigate. 

We’re committed to helping skilled tradespeople across the UK to weather the storm and find the work that’s available in their areas – as well as future-proof their businesses – as homeowners rein in spending.”