Top jobs for the summer

Painting and decorating is one of the quickest, easiest and most cost effective ways to update a space. Painting is the top home improvement planned by homeowners in 2023 with 34%. Out of all the trades, painters and decorators were one of the ones that saw the biggest increase in leads/enquiries in 2022, with 46% reporting this increase. 60% of painters/decorators expect to be very busy in 2023.*

 So what’s new when it comes to paint? At Wickes we’ve been working with presenter, singer, actress and DIY fan Kimberley Walsh to develop a new paint colour. Blue Haze is a soft, calming shade that works well in any space, as it responds elegantly to the light around it.  Pick up a tester pot or a colour card when you’re in store so that you can show your customers.

Four in ten homeowners planning improvements in 2023 will be opting for some kind of ‘part update’ and 70% of tradespeople think demand for part updates will increase in 2023 as they’re also a great way to save money.  On average, homeowners expect to save more than £6,000 by just updating elements rather than a full rip out and replace.

This can mean something quite basic such as repainting the existing doors using furniture and cupboard paint, but if the cupboards are in good condition, customers may want to replace worktops or tiles, or repaint the walls using kitchen paint.

As the country turns away from petrol and diesel and moves towards electric and hybrid motoring, many people are choosing to have a car charging point installed in their own homes.  Indeed, demand for this job has increased by 169% in the last year alone, and more than 2000% since 2020.*  A survey by Kantar, of over 1000 people aged 18-64, found that almost half of the respondents in the UK already drive an EV or plan to purchase one in the next two years. A second survey into the importance of charging points availability at home, found that 67% of respondents consider EV charging at home a must have.

Wickes already offers a range of car charging cables and will shortly be introducing a range of chargers for home installation, so you will be able to meet this demand from your customers.

67% of roofers expect to be very busy in 2023*, so the demand for this type of work is certainly there. Summer is the best time of year to get roofing work done, as (hopefully) the weather will be dry and warm and keeping the roof dry during installation is the most important thing. Wind and rain can have an adverse effect on whether roof work is safe, and chances of water damage and leaking are higher, so this is another reason to get the work done now.  Check out our wide range of roofing products - and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

*Data sourced from rated people homeowner survey – answers given by UK homeowners who will be doing home improvement work in 2023