What homeowners want in January – Trade business insights

Using search data to benefit your business

Another year, a fresh opportunity to get organised and implement some forward planning to help your business thrive.

And if you’re new to this blog series, you’ll be pleased to know this monthly post is a great tool to help tradespeople predict homeowner demand for the month ahead, which can assist with your business planning and resourcing.

We don’t have a crystal ball, but we do have access to historical data that gives us a good steer as to which trades and what projects might be in high demand this month.

Data from the #1 trade directory

The all-important data comes from two places:

• Our own website. We look at homeowner searches on Checkatrade during comparable periods in previous years.
• Google. Our in-house technical wizards delve into the search data from the most popular search engine on the planet to analyse trends in homeowner search.

Best of all, you don’t have to wade through the data to make sense of it, we’ve done that bit too. So sit back, grab a cuppa, and let’s see which tradespeople might be rushed off their feet, what type of projects they’ll be doing, and most importantly, how to use this data to benefit your business.

Which trades could see an increase in demand in January?

Without further ado, here are the predictions for January ’23 based on Checkatrade and external search data.

Based on average search data from homeowners on the Checkatrade website between December and January in previous years, we predict there could be an increase for the following trades during January ’23:

• Carpenter – joinery – 23k monthly searches* (up 39%)
• Plasterer – plastering – 17k monthly searches* (up 49%)
• Double glazing – replacement/ installation – 12k monthly searches* (up 59%)
• Kitchens – 9k monthly searches* (up 55%)
• Kitchen worktops – 2k monthly searches* (up 63%)

Note: these are average searches during the month of January over the past few years.

If you specialise in kitchens, double glazing, plastering, or joinery, you can expect to be exceptionally busy during January if these figures are anything to go by. Keep reading to find out what tips and tricks you can use to make the most of this predicted increase in demand.

What projects might homeowners look for in January?

We also took a look at what projects homeowners might be after in January ’23, based on Google’s search data from December to January in previous years.

So what sort of projects might homeowners be keen to strike off the to-do list this month?

Kitchens (worktops) – up 63%**

Spring and summer are popular times of year to get your house on the market, so as we head into January, homeowners are looking for ways to spruce up their interiors. And one of the most effective ways to do that is a spanking new worktop.

If you’re a kitchen fitter, here’s what you need to do:

• Already a Checkatrade member? Log in to your Checkatrade profile and make sure it’s optimised for search. This means making sure you give your business the best possible chance of standing out. Check your details are present and correct, upload reviews from happy customers, and add before & after photos of recent installations.
• Not yet a Checkatrade member? Don’t worry, we can still be friends. Click here to start our checks so we can welcome you on board as a Checkatrade member. Those 9,000 homeowners searching for kitchen specialists in Januarys past are looking for your services on our directory. What are you waiting for?
• Want more work? Use our flexible membership option to have more leads sent your way. Dial your membership back down as you need to.

Flexible membership has arrived!

Double glazing (replacement/ installation) – up 59%**

Homeowners who’ve put up with their drafty windows for too long use January as a good opportunity to fix the issue with the replacement or installation of double-glazing.

On average, 12,000 homeowners searched on Checkatrade for a double glazing specialist in January in previous years. And according to data from Google, there’s a 59% increase in searches for double glazing between December and January.

So, if you’re a double glazing specialist on Checkatrade, now’s the time to invest in your Checkatrade membership.

Flex up to receive more leads to fill your diary with jobs for the months ahead. Remember, you can flex back down again when you need to using our flexible membership option.

Kitchens – up 55%**

January appears to be a popular time for homeowners wanting a new kitchen installed, with a 55% increase in searches on Google between December and January in previous years.

If your business specialises in kitchen fitting, check your Checkatrade profile to make sure it’s optimised for search. That is, helping to make sure your business appears high up in the results when homeowners search for your services.

How to make sure your profile appears high in Checkatrade search

A strong profile is also important for enticing customers to make that call when they open up your business profile. Here are our top tips for creating a Checkatrade profile that stands out.

Not yet a Checkatrade member?

Click on the button below to start our checks.

Plastering – up 49%**

Google search data suggests a 49% increase month on month from December to January in previous years. This indicates that plenty of homeowners are keen to get this job off the list, perhaps as a foundation for home renovations and updates, or to get the house looking ‘ship-shape’ before putting it on the market in spring.

If you’re a plasterer, cash in on this expected increase in demand by doing the following:

• Make sure you’re on Checkatrade. Click on the button below to start our checks to become an Approved member.
• Already a Checkatrade member? Log in to your profile, check your details are correct, upload customer reviews, and add photos of your recent work. Remember, you can use our flexible membership option to receive more leads.

Carpenter (joinery) – 39%**

Last but not least, it’s joinery, with a 39% increase in search volume from December to January in previous years according to Google.

This may not be the biggest increase month-on-month, but 23,000 monthly searches on average for joinery on the Checkatrade site during January in previous years is mammoth.

Carpenters, you know what to do. Those 23,000 homeowners are searching for your carpentry skills on the UK’s leading trade directory. Of course they are.

To make sure your business is found, join Checkatrade today. 

How to use our demand data to your competitive advantage

In summary, here’s how all this number crunching can help your business start 2023 with a bang.

1. Join Checkatrade

These incredible search volumes are from our website. It’s where homeowners come to find trusted, quality tradespeople every day. In fact, 13 million homeowners used our trades last year. And:

8 out of 10 people would choose a trade endorsed by Checkatrade compared to one that isn’t***.

So if you’re not on Checkatrade, you could miss out on those 8 out of 10 homeowners who look to Checkatrade for that trust check. Not to mention the additional member benefits, including hundreds of pounds worth of exclusive discounts on business essentials such as fuel, insurance, tools, and workwear.

2. Already a Checkatrade member?

Follow our expert tips to make sure your Checkatrade profile is strong and can be easily found when homeowners search our site looking for your services.

3. Make the most of our flexible membership option

Checkatrade membership is tiered on four levels: Approved, Lite, Standard, and Pro.

Once you’ve passed our checks, you’ll become an Approved member. From there you can flex your membership up or down month to month if you want to receive more leads. You can flex your membership by logging into your member’s area.

*Average search data for trade categories on checkatrade.com in the month of January 2020, 2021 & 2022

**Increase in average searches in the month of January 2020 & 2021 vs December 2020 & 2021 on Google as estimated by SEO tools

***Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.