Spending on ‘Big Ticket’ home improvements up quarter-on-quarter due to falling costs and ‘selling season’ ​

The number of households spending on ‘big ticket’ home improvements such as kitchen and bathroom fittings, building work, patios and landscaping were up significantly in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest figures from the Checkatrade Home Improvement Index, the most comprehensive overview of home services work carried out in the UK based on data recorded from nearly 10m job enquiries.  

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Seasonal trends, falling costs, and many home-sellers preparing for a particularly competitive ‘selling season’ are driving the “robust” figures, according to the platform, with CEO Jambu Palaniappan describing the figures as “a positive start to the year given the wider economic headwinds and squeeze many consumers are facing”.  

Positive signs for 2025 

Homeowners traditionally carry out more work on their homes at the start of the year compared to the end of one - but this can be tempered if the wider economic outlook is weaker and consumers have less cash in their pockets. However, spending on ‘big ticket’ home improvements such as bathrooms and kitchens are up across the board on the Checkatrade platform versus the previous quarter.  

There was a 17% increase in job enquiries for bathroom fittings, with consumers on average spending £5,700 per job. Kitchen fittings were also up 11%, with the average spend over £6,000. Building work in homes – larger-scale work such as extensions or structural modifications - increased 17%, with homeowners spending an average of over £12,000.   

This is supplemented by a quarter-on-quarter rise of a third (33%) in the number of interior design jobs, with home improvers spending an average of nearly £2,400 on this. Interior design is also up 35% Y-O-Y. The figures are rounded off by a 22% increase in painting and decorating jobs, costing an average of around £1,800.  

Larger outdoor jobs are also up significantly versus the previous quarter - likely reflecting season trends, but many are also up Y-O-Y. Driveway and patio construction is up 58% vs the last quarter, costing on average over £6,000. Meanwhile, landscaping, also on average costing over £6,000, is up 131%. Meanwhile, general gardening work enjoyed a 40% boost. This is also reflected Y-O-Y to a lesser extent, with landscaping work up 3% and gardening work up 4% in Q1 2025 vs Q1 2025.  

Falling costs and selling season protect the seasonal bounce  

There are a number of factors leading to the increases, according to Checkatrade. While there is traditionally a bounce in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous one, other reasons appear to be supplementing this.  

Falling building costs could be playing a key part. The average building job in Q1 2025 fell to £12,065 compared to £13,964 the previous quarter, a 14% fall.  Meanwhile the average cost of kitchen fittings was down by a fifth (19%), from £7,509 to £6,093. 

These figures are corroborated by a Y-O-Y fall in costs. For example, the cost of the average building job has fallen 28% Y-O-Y, when comparing Q1 2025 to Q1 2024. Likewise costs for kitchen fitting have fallen from an average of 14% Y-O-Y and bricklaying costs are down 14%. Meanwhile electrician costs are down 24% and plumbing costs are down 17% Y-O-Y.  

 The increased competition could mean that many home sellers are trying to make their property as appealing to buyers as possible - key for quicker sales and standing out from the competition.  

Y-O-Y increases more of a mixed picture  

While the quarterly indicators are strong, analysis versus the same quarter in 2024 shows a more mixed picture. Energy Performance Certificates enquiries are up a huge 151%. Meanwhile, waste removal services are up 49%, cleaning services are also up 14% and general handyman services are up 7%. Landscaping enquiries are also up 3% and surveying has seen a 7% Y-O-Y increase, suggesting more work could be in the pipeline.  

However, other figures suggest wider caution in the market and reflect wider building industry figures. For example, overall building work is down 15% versus Q1 2024. Meanwhile bathroom fitting enquiries are down 9%. Other jobs such as architectural services and home heating have remained flat Y-O-Y.  

Reacting to the figures, Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade, says:

“Our first Home Improvement Index of 2025 shows a good start for the home improvement and tradesperson industry.  

“The strong increases since the last quarter show a positive trajectory for 2025. While we often see increases in Q1 due to seasonal trends, this could have been more muted this year due to many consumers taking a more cautious approach with their money when it comes to bigger spending. But a trend of falling prices on key jobs and a competitive selling season has helped ensure the market remains resilient and has led to a strong start to the year.”  

“Looking at the wider picture, year-on-year performance shows a more mixed perspective with some types of jobs up, others down, and others in line with this time last year.” 

To help consumers know what they should be paying for jobs around the home, Checkatrade has launched its Job Estimate Calculator. The free-to-use tool draws on data from 1.5 million jobs completed by the site’s 50,000 vetted trade businesses to immediately generate highly accurate quotes for any home improvement project. Checkatrade’s smart tool even factors in location, seasonal demand and the option to include material costs to give an accurate price range. 

​​​To find out more on prices for home improvement and repair jobs visit ​​​​​​​​t​​​he ​​Job Estimate Calculator​​.

NOTES TO EDITORS  *Housing figures from Zoopla House Price Index data. KPMG consumer confidence study: https://kpmg.com/uk/en/media/press-releases/2024/12/households-confident-in-finances-2025.html#:~:text=The%20majority%20of%20UK%20households,in%20order%20to%20do%20so. 

Methodology: Data compiled by Checkatrade in April 2025 based on all jobs carried out in the platform in ​Q1 2025 ​versus the equivalent data in 2024.   

For more information, please contact: checkatrade@goodrelations.co.uk