The number of people looking to refurbish their bathrooms fell in January, although more said they would hire a professional to do the work for them.
This trend was highlighted in a survey commissioned by the BMA and carried out by Opinium polled 2,000 UK adults between January 14 and January 18.
The results showed that 23% of the UK population were looking to complete a full bathrooms refurbishment in the next two years compared with 25% in June 2021. But the number of people that said they would hire a professional to do their complete bathroom renovation rose from 66% in June 2021 (and 63% in January 2021) to 67%.
The survey also looked at the number of people considering partial bathroom refurbishments, tap replacements and repairs to any bathroom fitting people were planning over the next two years, compared with June 2021.
The number considering partial bathroom refurbishments fell from 28% to 23% with no increase over June 2021 in those who said they’d hire a professional to do it, although the figure was up from 57% in January 2021.
Similarly, the number looking to carry out tap replacements fell from 31% to 28% and half said they would hire a professional, compared with 46% in June last year.
And in terms of those considering a repair to any bathroom fitting in the next two years, numbers again fell from 36% in June 2021 to 34%, with 50% looking to hire a professional to carry out the work compared with 48% in June 2021 and 46% in January that year.
Commenting on the findings, BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds said: “These latest poll results indicate the appetite for bathroom refurbs remains strong. Throughout the pandemic, the market has been buoyant, and we’re seeing people continue to plan upgrades and improvements to their homes, even if there is a slight dip in expectations, this is in the context of a period of high demand.
“There also seems to be an upward trend for using professionals, as people increasingly recognise the need to employ skilled and expert tradespeople.
“This is great news for the sector, we are seeing an increased desire for quality in the bathroom and installation industries, an indicator of the importance of the refurbishment. Consumer expectations have shifted massively over the past two years and it’s clear to see that in these encouraging poll results.”