Let's be honest, DIY is in our DNA. Whether you're the type to spend every Saturday in B&Q with a trolley full of timber and a vague plan, or you've watched one too many TikTok tutorials and decided you can definitely tile a bathroom yourself (you probably can't), the UK's obsession with improving our homes shows absolutely no sign of slowing down.

The numbers back it up in a big way. From a home improvement market worth billions of pounds, to 14 million people quietly doing potentially illegal electrical work, to the near-£19 million worth of tools being nicked from tradesperson vans every year. 2025 and 2026 have been fascinating years for the world of DIY and home improvement.

We've pulled together 40 verified statistics from primary sources, covering insurers, government data, retailers and industry surveys, so you can see exactly where the UK home improvement market is heading, what homeowners are spending (and struggling with), and what the data actually says about the nation's DIY habits.

Let's get stuck in.

 

Market Size & Retailer Performance

1. The UK home improvement market hit $15 billion in 2025

IMARC Group puts the UK home improvement market at USD 15.0 billion in 2025, and it's not slowing down. The same report projects it'll reach USD 21.8 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.28%.

To put that in perspective: 21% of Brits are already planning to invest in home improvements this year, and 80% of homeowners raided their savings during the pandemic to get work done. That post-COVID DIY hunger? It never really went away. Source: (IMARC Group)

 

2. B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher posted UK sales of £1.73 billion in Q1 FY25/26

Kingfisher, the group behind B&Q and Screwfix, reported a 5.9% like-for-like sales jump in the UK & Ireland for Q1 FY25/26, with total sales of £1.73 billion. B&Q led the charge at +7.4%, with Screwfix close behind at +4.1%.

That's a solid performance in a market where consumers are still being careful with their cash. Source: (Kingfisher plc / Yahoo Finance)

 

3. Kingfisher H1 2025: £6.8bn in sales and e-commerce up 11.1%

Kingfisher's half-year results for the six months to July 2025 make for very good reading. Group like-for-like sales rose 1.9% to £6.8 billion, adjusted pre-tax profit jumped 10.2% to £368 million, and e-commerce grew 11.1% year-on-year to £1.4 billion.

The standout was Screwfix Sprint. Their 20-minute delivery service now covers around 60% of the UK population, with sales growing more than 50%. Source: (Retail Gazette)

 

4. B&Q's trade arm TradePoint is up 6.4% and now makes up nearly a quarter of all B&Q sales

B&Q isn't just a Saturday afternoon destination anymore. Their TradePoint banner, aimed squarely at local tradespeople, grew 6.4% and now accounts for 23.4% of total B&Q sales, up from 21.8% the year before. TradePoint counters are now active in 217 of B&Q's 310 UK stores.

Meanwhile Screwfix's total sales grew 4.0% to £2,636 million. Source: (Kingfisher plc / InsightDIY)

 

5. Wickes hit £847.9m revenue in H1 2025, up 5.6% year-on-year

Wickes had a strong first half of 2025. Revenue for the 26 weeks to June 2025 reached £847.9 million, up from £803.2m in H1 2024, with like-for-like sales up 4.5%. The retail side, covering both DIY and local trade, grew 6.8% to £634.4m.

Their TradePro membership scheme was a big driver, with 615,000 active members (up from 541,000) and trade sales up 10% year-on-year. Source: (Wickes plc)

 

6. Checkatrade's Home Improvement Index tracks nearly 4 million job enquiries every quarter

Launched in January 2025 as the UK's first index of its kind, Checkatrade's Home Improvement Index draws on data from over 10.5 million jobs recorded on the platform, including 2.7 million in Q3 2024 alone.

It found building job costs peaked at £12,634 in Q3 2024 (+19%), but by mid-2025 had fallen 14% year-on-year and a whopping 25% from their 2023 peaks. Good news for anyone with a loft conversion on the wish list. Source: (Checkatrade)

 

Homeowner Renovation Plans & Spending

7. Almost 7 million UK homeowners are planning to renovate, and they're budgeting £14,000+ each

Aviva's 'How We Live' report is a fascinating snapshot of what UK homeowners are actually planning. Almost seven million of them intend to renovate their homes with an average budget of over £14,000 each.

Gen Z are the most enthusiastic at 73%, followed by Millennials at 65%. One in five plan to extend their home's layout, and 15% are putting in a dedicated home office. The home improvement boom is very much a generational thing. Source: (Aviva)

 

8. The median UK renovation spend jumped 26% to £21,440 in 2024

According to Houzz's 2025 UK & Home Study, which surveyed over 1,000 UK homeowners, median renovation spend leapt from £17,000 in 2023 to £21,440 in 2024. That's a 26% jump in a single year.

The top 10% of renovating homeowners? They spent £169,000 or more. More than half (51%) of homeowners renovated in 2024 at all, with system upgrades leading the way: 43% tackled heating, 42% plumbing, 39% electrics. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

9. Older homeowners have invested an average of £38,000 into their current home

Aviva surveyed 2,000 homeowners aged 55 and over and found they've spent an average of £38,000 on home improvements in their current property, with 8% having spent over £100,000.

And they're not going anywhere: nearly half (47%) say they wouldn't even move if they won the lottery, and 17% say no amount of money would make them sell. When you've put that much love and money into a home, you can understand why. Source: (Aviva)

 

10. Demand for home air conditioning installation surged 63% in summer 2025

The UK summer of 2025 was brutal. Temperatures averaged 1.51°C above the long-term norm, with nine days exceeding 32°C. The result? Demand for A/C installation on Checkatrade rocketed 63% year-on-year in Q3 2025, following a 23% rise in Q2.

Fewer than 5% of UK homes currently have air conditioning, but with summers like this, that's probably going to change fast. Zoopla reckons a well-installed A/C system can add £4,925 to a property's value. Not bad for keeping your cool. Source: (Checkatrade / PR Newswire)

 

11. 85% of new UK homes are now rated EPC Band A or B

The government's Energy Performance of Buildings Certificates statistical release for Q3 2025 shows that 85% of new domestic properties built in that quarter received an A or B energy efficiency rating. In total, 390,000 domestic EPCs were lodged in Q3 2025.

With the government's Warm Homes ambitions in full swing, new builds are getting dramatically more efficient, even if the existing housing stock still has a long way to go. Source: (GOV.UK / MHCLG)

 

12. The median EPC score for English homes is 69 (Band C)

ONS's 2025 energy efficiency report, based on EPC records from the 10 years to March 2025, puts the median score for homes in England at 69 (Band C) and Wales at 68 (Band D). New builds score considerably better at a median of 84. Regional differences exist too: London, the East of England and the South East score slightly higher (70), while Yorkshire and The Humber rank lowest at 68. Source: (ONS)

 

Bathrooms, Kitchens & Big-Ticket Projects

13. Nearly 3 in 5 bathroom renovators made their shower bigger

Houzz's 2025 UK Bathroom Trends Study (330 homeowners) found that 58% of people who renovated their bathroom increased the size of their primary shower, with a quarter going significantly larger (50%+ bigger).

Corner showers are still king (32%), but walk-in showers with low or no thresholds are catching up fast (29% and 14% respectively). Oh, and 87% added sustainable features, with LED lighting being the most popular at 72%. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

14. 70% of bathroom renovators upgraded their bathroom systems, making it the single most common activity

According to KBBFocus's breakdown of the 2025 Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, the most common thing renovating homeowners did in their bathroom wasn't pick new tiles. It was upgrading their systems.

70% overhauled bathroom systems, 61% changed their layout, and 11% moved their bathroom to a completely different room. Bathrooms are getting a serious rethink, not just a lick of paint. Source: (KBBFocus)

 

15. Bathrooms led all interior renovation categories in 2023 at 29% of projects

The 2024 Houzz UK study of 1,848 homeowners found bathrooms were the most commonly renovated interior room (29%), narrowly ahead of kitchens and living rooms (26% each).

The spend jump was significant: median bathroom spend rose 39% to £7,300, and kitchen spend rose 16% to £15,100 in 2023. Outdoor projects also bounced back strongly, up 17 percentage points to 51% of renovators. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

16. Median UK renovation spend rose 13% between 2020 and 2023, going from £15,000 to £17,000

The post-pandemic renovation boom is well documented, but here's the data to back it up. Houzz's 2024 study found median spend grew from £15,000 in 2020 to £17,000 in 2023, a 13% rise.

More tellingly, the top 10% of spenders doubled their budgets from £100,000 to £200,000 over the same period. People weren't just doing more home improvement. They were going bigger. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

DIY Skills, Habits & Consumer Behaviour

17. 85% of UK DIYers can paint and decorate, but only 25% will touch plumbing or electrics

YouGov's survey on DIY capability drew a very clear line in the sand. Painting and decorating? Easy. 85% of Britons who DIY say they handle that themselves (90% of women, 82% of men).

Assembling furniture? 82%. Basic carpentry? 41%. But plumbing and electrical work? Only 25%. Building work? Just 17%. Wisely, most people know where to draw the line. Source: (YouGov)

 

18. Married Brits are nearly twice as likely to buy DIY products as single people

This one's interesting. YouGov data shows married Britons are nearly twice as likely to have bought DIY products in the past year as single people (38.2% vs 21.7%), and more than twice as likely to have made major home improvements.

Overall, 52.8% of UK consumers are DIYers, twice as many as the 25.2% who mainly hire professionals. Men (37.7%) outpace women (27.2%) on purchasing, and 18.1% of UK adults say DIY is genuinely a hobby rather than a chore. Source: (YouGov)

 

19. The average Brit delays a DIY project by 260 days. That's nearly 9 months.

Ronseal's 2025 Home and Garden DIY Report surveyed 1,500 UK homeowners and the results are... relatable. Brits put off DIY projects for an average of 260 days, which is 8.5 months. Women average 289 days, men 230.

Outdoor jobs are the most procrastinated: 35% keep putting off cleaning the decking. When things do go wrong, the average failed DIY project costs £491.50 to fix. And 26% of 18-24-year-olds have learned their DIY skills from social media, compared to just 21% who learned from their dad. Times have changed. Source: (Ronseal)

 

20. 41% of Gen Z lack confidence in DIY, and just 9% have bled a radiator

Nationwide Building Society polled 2,032 UK adults in September 2025 and found 30% of Brits think younger generations are losing their DIY skills, with Baby Boomers the most likely to agree (40%). Two-fifths of Gen Z (41%) admit to lacking practical confidence, versus only 19% of Millennials. The stat that really lands? Just 9% of Gen Z have bled a radiator, compared to 53% of Baby Boomers.

Despite the knowledge gap, Millennials still spent an average of £1,123 on DIY in the past year, with Gen Z spending £1,014. Source: (Nationwide Building Society)

 

21. 79% of UK households now own at least one smart home device

Aviva's How We Live report found that nearly four in five Brits (79%) own at least one smart home tech product. Gen Z are the most 'smart home' generation (86%), ahead of Millennials (84%) and Gen X (77%).

Smart speakers lead the pack (45% ownership), followed by smart doorbells or cameras (29%), smart lighting (25%) and smart thermostats (20%). Among 25-34-year-olds, 17% already own a robot vacuum and another 28% are planning to buy one. The home is getting seriously connected. Source: (Aviva)

 

22. 60% of UK homeowners planned decorating projects for 2025; 49% planned full renovations

Houzz's 2025 UK & Home Study found a strong pipeline of activity heading into 2025: 60% of homeowners planned decorating projects and 49% intended to carry out more substantive renovation work.

The long game is a big motivation here. 61% of renovating homeowners plan to stay in their current home for over 11 years, and 33% said they now have the financial means they didn't before. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

23. 53% of UK renovating homeowners live in pre-1940 housing stock

More than half of the UK homeowners who renovated in 2024 live in homes built before 1940. That's a huge chunk of old housing driving demand for system upgrades, covering heating, plumbing and electrics rather than just cosmetic work. And the satisfaction levels are high: only 4% of those who renovated said they regretted it, mostly citing cost overruns. Source: (Houzz UK)

 

DIY Safety, Botched Jobs & Insurance

24. Homeowners spend an estimated £539 million a year fixing botched DIY, at £919 per job

This is the stat that keeps tradespeople in business. Direct Line's research found UK homeowners spend approximately £539 million every year hiring tradespeople to fix DIY jobs that went wrong, at an average cost of £919 per callout.

More than half (57%) of homeowners who attempted DIY were influenced by social media or TV. And 85% of tradespeople say the rise in ambitious botched attempts is directly linked to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok tutorials. 90% have seen more fix-it callouts, with half being called out at least twice a week. Source: (Direct Line Group)

 

25. 14 million UK adults have carried out potentially illegal gas or electrical DIY

One in four (25%) UK adults, that's nearly 14 million people, have carried out gas or electrical work that is potentially illegal under UK law. In 29% of those cases, no building control approval or certification was ever obtained.

Around 15% of adults don't realise this kind of DIY can cause serious injury or death, and 24% say social media videos encouraged them to try. Direct Line's June 2025 research is a stark reminder that some DIY jobs really do need a professional. Source: (Direct Line Group)

 

26. 9% of UK residents were burgled in the past year, with an average loss of £3,896

Aviva's home security research makes for sobering reading. 9% of UK residents say they were burgled in the past year, with the average cost of damages and stolen items reaching £3,896, rising to £7,199 for homeowners aged 35-44 who'd been targeted before.

Perhaps most unsettling: 47% of those burgled were at home when it happened. And 9% actually moved house as a result. Source: (Aviva)

 

Tool Theft & Tradesperson Security

27. UK tool theft surged 16% in 2025. That's 30,848 offences worth nearly £19 million

Monster-Mesh's Freedom of Information analysis across 46 police forces recorded 30,848 tool theft offences in 2025, a 16% jump from around 27,000 the year before.

That's approximately 85 incidents every single day, costing the trade industry almost £19 million. This came just a year after the Stop Tool Theft rally in London, where more than 500 trade vans gathered to demand tougher action. Source: (InsightDIY)

 

28. 4 in 10 UK tradespeople have had tools stolen; 1 in 5 lost over £500

Wickes commissioned research across the UK's 2.3 million tradespeople and found 4 in 10 have experienced tool theft firsthand. Over 1 in 5 (22%) suffered losses exceeding £500 per incident, and 9% lost more than three full days of work as a direct result.

Your tools are your livelihood, and for a huge chunk of the trade workforce, they've already been taken once. Source: (Wickes plc)

 

29. Tool theft costs tradespeople an estimated £98.9 million in 2025, and 94% of stolen tools are never recovered

Simply Business surveyed 645 tradespeople and found average tool theft claims have risen 24% since 2020, totalling an estimated £98.9 million in losses in 2025 alone. 94% of theft victims say none of their stolen equipment was ever recovered.

The mental health toll is real too, with 77% reporting a negative effect on their wellbeing. Source: (Simply Business / Installer Online)

 

30. The average tool theft insurance claim has risen to £3,291, up 18% since 2020

Simply Business claims data shows the average payout for stolen tools rose from £2,778 in 2020 to £3,291 by 2024, an 18% increase over four years. The sharpest jump was in 2021 (+12%) and 2023 (+14%).

Even with no growth in 2024, the trend is clear: the value of tools is going up, and so is the cost of losing them. Source: (Simply Business)

 

31. Tool theft jumps 13% in October every year as 'tool theft season' kicks in

Police data obtained by Direct Line shows that tool theft spikes every October, up 13% in October 2024 alone versus the previous month, with rates staying elevated through winter. In October 2023 the spike was 18%, with almost 100 cases a day.

Over a third (36%) of tradespeople now sometimes move their tools into their car boot rather than leave them in the van overnight, and 23% are thinking about doing the same. Source: (Direct Line Group)

 

Construction & Trades Industry Outlook

32. 61% of SME builders are struggling to find skilled workers, even as workloads hit a two-year high

The FMB/CIOB State of Trade Survey for H1 2025 (458 responses) painted a picture of cautious optimism with a significant caveat. Workloads (+25%), enquiries (+34%) and employment (+26%) all grew together for the first time since Q2 2023, the strongest quarterly improvement since Q1 2010.

But 61% of firms are being held back by a shortage of skilled tradespeople, 49% reported job delays as a result, and 23% had to cancel work entirely. Source: (Federation of Master Builders / CIOB)

 

33. SME builder workloads stayed positive through H2 2025, but momentum is slowing

The follow-up FMB/CIOB survey for H2 2025 (493 responses) showed the sector staying in growth, but the pace eased off compared to the first half of the year. Rising costs, skills shortages and wider economic uncertainty are all weighing on firms heading into 2026.

Nearly half of builders still reported job delays due to the skills shortage. The fundamentals are solid, but the pipeline of available labour remains a real constraint. Source: (Federation of Master Builders)

 

34. Checkatrade: asbestos removal jobs jumped 21% in 2024

Checkatrade's Home Improvement Index flagged a 21% surge in demand for asbestos removal services in 2024 versus 2023. With over half of UK renovating homeowners living in pre-1940 properties, this isn't surprising. It is a reminder, though, that older housing stock comes with risks that need professional handling before any serious renovation work begins. Source: (Checkatrade)

 

35. Big-ticket home improvement jobs rose significantly in Q1 2025

Checkatrade's Q1 2025 Home Improvement Index data showed a meaningful uptick in big-ticket spending. Kitchens, bathrooms, building work, patios and landscaping all saw higher demand in the first quarter of 2025.

The combination of falling material costs, easing labour price inflation and a busy spring property market all contributed to homeowners finally pulling the trigger on projects they'd been putting off. Source: (Checkatrade)

 

Gardening & Outdoor DIY

36. UK households spent around £9 billion on garden products in 2025

The Horticultural Trades Association puts UK household spend on retail garden products at approximately £9 billion in 2025. Zooming out further, the Royal Horticultural Society's State of Gardening Report puts environmental horticulture's contribution to UK GDP at £38 billion in 2023, more than UK aerospace manufacturing that year, supporting over 720,000 jobs. It's projected to hit £51.2 billion by 2030. The garden isn't just a hobby, it's an industry. Source: (HTA / RHS)

 

37. UK garden centre visits hit 203 million in 2024, with 68% of adults going at least once

The garden centre is still one of the great British pastimes. HTA figures show UK garden centre visits reached 203 million in 2024, with more than two-thirds (68%) of UK adults visiting at least once. Regular visitors averaged 5.3 trips each.

Garden centre cafes alone pulled in 148 million visits, and 56% of all UK adults made it through for a coffee and a scone at some point during the year. Source: (Hillarys / HTA data)

 

38. The 'vegetable garden' topic has generated over 144.9 million TikTok videos

B&Q's own media centre data shows that 'vegetable garden' content has accumulated over 144.9 million TikTok videos, with Google search interest peaking every April. It's a clear signal that Grow Your Own isn't a niche interest.

It's a mainstream trend being fed by social media. B&Q has leaned into this, building out its beginner-gardening range and expert content around the seasonal demand spike. Source: (B&Q Media Centre)

 

39. The 'modern ranch interiors' trend has generated 14.2 million TikTok posts

The cow-print craze, inspired in part by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter era, saw 'modern ranch interiors' rack up 14.2 million posts on TikTok, according to B&Q's own media team. It's a prime example of how quickly a viral social media moment translates into actual purchasing decisions on the high street.

B&Q's Head of Decor called it 'the hottest new trend taking interiors by storm'. Whether you're on board with the bovine aesthetic is another question entirely. Source: (B&Q Media Centre)

 

40. 18.1% of UK adults say DIY is a hobby, not just a household task

YouGov's data shows that nearly 1 in 5 UK adults (18.1%) genuinely regard DIY as a hobby rather than something they do out of necessity. Purchasing skews heavily by age: just 11.1% of 18-24-year-olds bought DIY products in the past year, versus 36.7% of 40-59-year-olds. Men (37.7%) are more likely to buy than women (27.2%), but the gap is narrowing, with more women taking on projects they'd previously left to a partner or professional. Source: (YouGov)

 

Wrapping Up

There you have it. 40 statistics that paint a pretty clear picture of where UK DIY and home improvement actually stands in 2026.

The market is enormous and growing. Homeowners are spending more than ever on their properties. Whether that's a full kitchen overhaul, a new bathroom with a walk-in shower, or just finally getting round to that fence that's been leaning since 2022.

Younger generations are picking up DIY skills from TikTok rather than their dads, smart home tech is flying off the shelves, and the trades industry is busier than it's been in years. Finding skilled workers remains a genuine headache though.

The less cheery stats? Tool theft is up 16%, nearly 14 million people are doing potentially illegal electrical work, and the average botched DIY job is costing homeowners nearly £1,000 to fix. The enthusiasm is clearly there. The expertise sometimes lags behind.

Whether you're planning a renovation, running a trades business, or just looking for data to back up your next home improvement article, hopefully this gives you everything you need.

Happy building. Measure twice, cut once, and maybe leave the electrics to someone who's done the course.

Sources

1. IMARC Group: UK Home Improvement Market Report, 2026-2034

2. Kingfisher plc Q1 FY25/26 Trading Update (via Yahoo Finance)

3. Retail Gazette: Kingfisher Upgrades Full-Year Guidance After Strong Half-Year Performance

4. Kingfisher plc via InsightDIY: B&Q and Screwfix Performance, FY24/25

5. Wickes Group plc: Interim Results 2025

6. Checkatrade: Home Improvement Index Q2 2025

7. Aviva plc: Seven Million UK Homeowners Plan to Renovate, Feb 2025

8. Houzz UK: 2025 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study

9. Aviva plc: Why Older Homeowners Are Choosing to Stay Put Rather Than Sell, Sept 2025

10. Checkatrade via PR Newswire: A/C Demand Soars 63%, Oct 2025

11. GOV.UK / MHCLG: EPC Statistical Release, July to September 2025

12. ONS: Energy Efficiency of Housing in England and Wales, 2025

13. Houzz UK: 2025 UK Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

14. KBBFocus: Key Findings from the 2025 UK Houzz Bathroom Trends Study

15. Houzz UK: 2024 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study

16. Houzz UK: 2024 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study

17. YouGov: Which DIY Can People Do?

18. YouGov: Building a Home Together, Married Brits Do More DIY

19. Ronseal: The Home and Garden DIY Report, 2025

20. Nationwide Building Society: Gen Z and Millennials Might Lack DIY Knowhow, Oct 2025

21. Aviva plc: UK Homes Gear Up for Gadget Boom, May 2025

22. Houzz UK: 2025 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study

23. Houzz UK: 2025 UK Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study

24. Direct Line Group: £900 Cost of TikTok DIY Disasters, 2024

25. Direct Line Group: Dangerous DIY, 14 Million Brits Risk Lives, June 2025

26. Aviva plc: Home Security Research, Oct 2024

27. InsightDIY: Reported Tool Theft Surged 16% in 2025, Feb 2026

28. Wickes plc: Tool Theft Research, April 2025

29. Simply Business via Installer Online: £99 Million Tool Theft Loss in 2025, April 2026

30. Simply Business: UK Tool Theft Hotspots Revealed, Oct 2025

31. Direct Line Group: October Marks the Start of Tool Theft Season, Oct 2025

32. FMB / CIOB: State of Trade Survey H1 2025

33. FMB: State of Trade Survey H2 2025

34. Checkatrade: Home Improvement Index

35. Checkatrade: Home Improvement Index

36. Horticultural Trades Association: Garden Industry Statistics

37. Hillarys citing HTA data: Garden Industry Statistics 2025

38. B&Q (diy.com): Media Centre

39. B&Q (diy.com): Media Centre

40. YouGov: Building a Home Together, Married Brits Do More DIY