Words: Tony Robson, Roundhouse

Let’s be honest. Open any paper and you’ll be told the world is ending. Interest rates, politics, the economy, it’s all doom.

And in the KBB industry, you can hear the sighs: “flat market, cautious customers, uncertainty.” But here’s the inconvenient truth: there is money around. More than you might think.

Household savings in the UK are higher than at any point in the last decade. Billions in “excess savings” are sitting there, waiting. People aren’t spending because they don’t want to, they’re not spending because they’re waiting for a signal that it’s safe. And when that moment comes, where do you think they’ll invest? Not in fast cars or frivolous luxuries, but in their homes, the one place where lifestyle, comfort and value all meet. 

Then there’s the elephant in the room: Inheritance! Britain is about to see the largest transfer of wealth in its history. We don’t need to be crass about it, but the numbers don’t lie, over £100 billion is being passed down every year, and growing. A new generation of homeowners, many sitting on unearned windfalls, will have both the appetite and the means to spend on living better.

So why does the mood feel flat? Because too many businesses are sat staring at today’s profits and loss instead of tomorrow’s opportunity. The danger is that when the spending wave hits and it will, some showrooms will be caught unprepared.

Here’s the challenge: if you believe better days are coming, what are you doing to be ready? Do you have a vision for your business beyond “keep the lights on”? Are you sharpening your proposition, your customer experience, your design standards, so that when confidence returns, you’re not just waiting, you’re leading?

And let’s talk about AI. Forget the jargon. It’s about getting rid of the jobs that eat your time – the quoting, HR, risk assessments and the endless emails so you and your team can do what really matters, selling, designing, and building relationships. That’s where the money is made.

This isn’t a message of blind optimism. It’s a call to stop talking ourselves into decline. Yes, the market is challenging. But there is more wealth in this country than ever before, and much of it is looking for a home, literally!

So, let’s change the narrative. The story of the next few years won’t be the businesses who waited nervously. It’ll be the ones who dared to plan, to invest, to innovate, and to position themselves for the rebound.

The money is coming. The question is, will you be ready?