• Home improvement applications are 27% down since 2021.
• A desire to reduce energy bills is driving a rise in applications citing solar panels and insulation.
• Wales and the North West see sharpest declines.

Demand for extensions, loft conversions and garden work has fallen dramatically following a post-pandemic boom, as home improvement enthusiasts switch focus to green energy upgrades to reduce bills.

The number of home improvement applications has fallen by 27% overall since 2021 with 2023 seeing the lowest numbers since 2013. The fall follows an unprecedented spike in activity following the pandemic that saw nearly 450k applications in 2021.

The new insight into homeowner spending trends is revealed in a major new study, the Home Improvement Index, launched by data analysts Barbour ABI to monitor activity across the sector.

Barbour ABI consulting analyst, Brian Green said “The build-up of excess savings from reduced spending on holidays and entertainment and the sense of being caged during lockdown generated a surge in home improvement in 2021. That exuberance in the market has now yielded to the downward pressures created by a cost-of-living crisis.”

The Home Improvement Index is now available on Barbour ABI’s website.