Trades Boost as Home Improvements Sales Rise by 35%

FIGURES FROM almost a quarter of a million invoices recorded by 915 trade SMEs show that the home improvement boom experienced during lockdown continues as sales for SMEs in construction during 2021 increased by 35%, compared to last year.

The average invoice value of invoices in 2021 also rose by 6% higher than 2020, according to analysis from the field service management software provider, Powered Now. Sales for the first 8 months of 2021 were £111 million, compared to £82 million recorded for the same period last year.

Average values for invoices throughout 2021 have consistently increased. As the demand for work surged during the national lockdowns in the spring of 2020 and winter of 2021, home improvements have continued to become more valuable throughout the summer months this year.

Rising costs through summer mean the average value of an invoice is £1,233, and total monthly sales of £15.1 million in August make it the highest month for deal flow in 2021, second only to March.

Unprecedented Trades Boost

Ben Dyer, CEO of Powered Now, said: “Since the reopening of the construction sector after the very first lockdown in 2020, there has been an unprecedented boom period. Sales in 2020 surpassed those in 2019, which was totally unexpected as we learnt how to deal with the pandemic.

“2021 by all accounts has taken us all by surprise even further. Starting the year with an equally restrictive lockdown didn’t dent the appetite of the British public for home improvements, and even the very well documented shortages of labour and materials couldn’t deter Brits from going on a renovation bonanza.

“The knock-on effect of this golden year for tradespeople has meant that the trade has become a hugely popular sector for job seekers, and we’re seeing training courses becoming over-subscribed as education centres are inundated with new apprentices.”

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