Over the course of the pandemic, home was very much where the heart was forced to stay, and as a result of multiple lockdowns, house renovations have steadily become Britain’s favourite pastime. Using this as an opportunity to improve their surroundings and create more internal differentiation, 43% of Brits found that their home improvement project helped them with their mental health during the pandemic.

In new national research by Powered Now – a field service management software for the trades – 25% of Brits agreed that as a result of the pandemic, DIY and home improvements has become their favourite hobbies, with a further 37% of Brits finding that completing a home improvement with their partner made their relationship stronger.

The research also highlights that Brits have spent an average of £2,011 per person on home refurbishments, with the total spent by British consumers on home improvements amounting to £110.3bn, signalling an increase in expenditure by 29.7%.

Key Stats:
43% of Brits found that their home improvement project helped them with their mental health during the pandemic
37% of Brits found that completing a home improvement with their partner made their relationship stronger
25% of Brits agreed that as a result of the pandemic, DIY and home improvements has become their favourite hobbies
Brits spent £110.8 bn on home improvements during lockdown
37% of Brits experienced tradespeople that they wanted to use being too busy to do the work that they wanted during the pandemic
34% of Brits agreed that hiring a tradesperson was the only service that they used during the lockdowns
Further signifying the importance of home improvements to our mental health, Brits have detailed in the research that tradespeople were the only services that they hired in periods of lockdown. With 34% of Brits agreeing to this, the desire for tradespeople was so extreme, that 37% of Brits said that the builder they wanted to use was too busy to do the work that they wanted during the pandemic.

Ben Dyer, CEO of Powered Now, discusses how the last year of turbocharged spending has affected the trades.

“Brits have clearly realised the great benefits of home renovations that extend beyond aesthetics. As a hobby and activity that has brought people together, it’s been amazing to see detailed in our research just how pivotal home improvements were to the mental health of the nation, as we all took on the task of battling lockdown. Fuelled by popular culture and social media, we have embraced DIY projects with open arms, and they have been an essential part of our family life in such extraordinary times.”

“The news that consumer spending is through the roof directly correlates from what we have seen on the ground too. We have witnessed tradespeople experiencing their highest client demand ever during the course of 2020, and these figures are very much in line with what we actually would have expected. If you look to the hardware retailers that were allowed to remain open when other non-essential retail wasn’t, they have performed so incredibly, further indicating the desire people have had for home improvements.”