Renovating
What Our Latest Study Tells Us About Your Renovation Priorities
Read on to find out what the 2025 UK Houzz & Home report reveals about homeowner renovation habits
How much are we spending on our homes, which rooms are we renovating, and what type of things are we focusing on? The answer to these questions and more were revealed in the 2025 UK Houzz & Home Study*, which highlights the renovation trends of UK homeowners in 2023 and 2024.
*The 2025 UK Houzz & Home Study was sent to registered users of Houzz and fielded in March 2025.
Read the full report.
*The 2025 UK Houzz & Home Study was sent to registered users of Houzz and fielded in March 2025.
Read the full report.
We want space for household jobs
A separate utility or laundry room has been on many people’s wish lists for a long time, but it seems that more homeowners are now making that wish a reality.
A quarter of Houzz & Home respondents who’d renovated their homes last year said they’d focused on the laundry room, up from 14% the previous year. And of those who extended their homes in 2024, 10% said they’d done so to accommodate a laundry room, versus 6% in 2022 and 8% in 2023.
More: Common Utility Room Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
A separate utility or laundry room has been on many people’s wish lists for a long time, but it seems that more homeowners are now making that wish a reality.
A quarter of Houzz & Home respondents who’d renovated their homes last year said they’d focused on the laundry room, up from 14% the previous year. And of those who extended their homes in 2024, 10% said they’d done so to accommodate a laundry room, versus 6% in 2022 and 8% in 2023.
More: Common Utility Room Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
We’re moving our attention to the exterior of our homes
While we might not spend as much time at the front of our properties as inside, we’re certainly not neglecting the area. Driveways, for example, are becoming more of a focus for homeowners, as 13% of respondents said they’d added to or upgraded theirs in 2024 versus 10% in the previous year.
People are also focusing more on their garages, with 7% renovating this space compared to 3% in 2023.
While we might not spend as much time at the front of our properties as inside, we’re certainly not neglecting the area. Driveways, for example, are becoming more of a focus for homeowners, as 13% of respondents said they’d added to or upgraded theirs in 2024 versus 10% in the previous year.
People are also focusing more on their garages, with 7% renovating this space compared to 3% in 2023.
We’re embracing smart technology
While still relatively niche, the use of smart tech in homes is steadily becoming more popular. Tech to operate blinds, curtains and shutters, for example, is attracting some of you, with the number of people purchasing motorised window coverings that can be operated from a device jumping from 2% in 2023 to 8% in 2024.
The popularity of streaming media players is also growing, with the number of these appearing in the homes of our survey participants more than doubling in 2024 compared to 2023 (13% vs 6%).
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
While still relatively niche, the use of smart tech in homes is steadily becoming more popular. Tech to operate blinds, curtains and shutters, for example, is attracting some of you, with the number of people purchasing motorised window coverings that can be operated from a device jumping from 2% in 2023 to 8% in 2024.
The popularity of streaming media players is also growing, with the number of these appearing in the homes of our survey participants more than doubling in 2024 compared to 2023 (13% vs 6%).
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
Energy efficiency is important to us
If you’ve been looking for ways to up the energy efficiency of your home, you’re not alone. The number of people upgrading their heating, cooling and ventilation systems rose from 25% in 2023 to 30% in 2024.
And our study shows that a steadily increasing number of homeowners are embracing sustainable solutions when it comes to energy, with 8% of respondents saying they’d upgraded their solar systems last year, versus 5% in 2023.
If you’ve been looking for ways to up the energy efficiency of your home, you’re not alone. The number of people upgrading their heating, cooling and ventilation systems rose from 25% in 2023 to 30% in 2024.
And our study shows that a steadily increasing number of homeowners are embracing sustainable solutions when it comes to energy, with 8% of respondents saying they’d upgraded their solar systems last year, versus 5% in 2023.
We still love our gardens
More than three-quarters of renovating homeowners updated their gardens in 2024, according to our study. Functional upgrades were the most common, including working on beds and borders (29%), lighting systems (23%) and security systems (16%). As for outdoor structures, sheds and workshops were the most popular (17%), followed by gazebos and pergolas (11%), and decks (9%).
The popularity of outside rooms seems to have dipped a little, as 3% of respondents added a garden office or guest room to their outdoor space versus 6% in 2022 and 5% in 2023. However, there was a slight uptick in the number of people fitting an outdoor kitchen, which rose from 2% in 2023 to 3% in 2024.
Tell us…
Do any of these renovation trends ring true for you? Share your experiences in the Comments.
More than three-quarters of renovating homeowners updated their gardens in 2024, according to our study. Functional upgrades were the most common, including working on beds and borders (29%), lighting systems (23%) and security systems (16%). As for outdoor structures, sheds and workshops were the most popular (17%), followed by gazebos and pergolas (11%), and decks (9%).
The popularity of outside rooms seems to have dipped a little, as 3% of respondents added a garden office or guest room to their outdoor space versus 6% in 2022 and 5% in 2023. However, there was a slight uptick in the number of people fitting an outdoor kitchen, which rose from 2% in 2023 to 3% in 2024.
Tell us…
Do any of these renovation trends ring true for you? Share your experiences in the Comments.
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According to the 2025 Houzz & Home Study, more than half of homeowners renovated their property in 2024 (51%) and the median spend rose by 20%, from £17,000 in 2023 to £21,440 in 2024. Those on a higher budget spent a generous £169,000 or more on home renovations.
Home repairs were on the to-do list for 39% of respondents, and almost two in five homeowners upgraded electrical systems. Plumbing and heating upgrades were also popular with those who took part in the report. Much of this could be driven by the fact that 61% of respondents live in homes built in 1940 or earlier, and that three in five homeowners are planning to stay in their homes for at least 11 years following their project.
“While rising costs for goods and services are influencing renovation spend, activity remains stable,” Houzz staff economist Marine Sargsyan says. “With almost half of homeowners planning renovations, it’s evident that the need to update ageing housing stock continues to fuel demand for home improvements.”
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