Vanarama has surveyed 1,000 Brits, teaming up with Rated People to find out what 2020 looked like for tradespeople and who were the busiest. According to Rated People CEO Adrienne Minster: “People have turned to professional tradespeople this year to help them turn their visions into reality. We’ve seen an increase of 7% more jobs being posted for tradespeople, despite the pandemic.”
Almost two-thirds of respondents say that they’d called out for a tradesperson during 2020, 52% saying that more time around the house during lockdown had made them more aware of issues. The survey also investigated which trade was most in-demand and that Brits needed the most help with their plumbing and electrics, due to the rise in home-working.
This demand led to some noticeable wait times, 29% claiming that they’d had to hold on for longer than usual to book in a tradesperson.
The survey results lined up with what Rated People saw occur, Minster explains: “Overall, we’ve seen most demand for plumbers. We put that down to them being available for home emergencies and fixes that won’t wait.”
Twenty per cent of respondents said they’d spent over £1,000 on work by tradespeople, with 10% even shelling out over £5,000.
However, most people spent £100 or less, showing that it’s odd-jobs that have been keeping tradespeople busy as opposed to large-scale work.
Price isn’t everything according to the survey, as only 12% of respondents would choose a tradesperson based on the amount they charge – whilst 70% are likely to rely on positive word of mouth.
With restrictions keeping us apart and the risks of contact being emphasised, you would think there’d be hesitation in getting someone to do some work on your home.
It’s positive to see, that over two-thirds of respondents say that they were comfortable with tradespeople in their home – trusting their professionalism and responsibility.
Minster was asked whether appreciation for tradespeople has risen during these times: “Yes, we’d like to think so. Trade businesses have offered homeowners support and assistance to make their homes comfortable and safe during an uncertain time and we’ve had a lot of happy homeowners leaving great reviews for tradespeople on our site in 2020, showing their appreciation.”
Getting a lot more use from people as we all stayed home, kitchens and bathrooms topped the list of rooms that needed work in 2020.
The area that the survey identified as ‘needing the most work’, was the garden. With many people using their private outside space to make sure they kept up a healthy dose of Vitamin D – it seems that they noticed things could do with sprucing up.
With the study finding that this year has had more of a positive outlook for trades than other sectors of the UK economy, here are Rated People’s thoughts on how 2020 has played out for tradespeople:
“Trade companies make up nearly 20% of UK businesses and it’s been fantastic to see them recognised by the UK Government as playing a vital role in keeping the economy moving. Tradespeople have been largely able to continue working as normal in and around homes and are key to the success of the Government’s new Green Homes Grant scheme.”