Remote working boost for trades

How will remote working affect your trade service business?

The first six months of 2020 have been a turbulent time for many businesses, and tradespeople are no exception. With the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic resulting in lockdown for many weeks, the impact on tradespeople has been intense.

When the lockdown was announced in March, many builders, landscapers and roofers suddenly found their jobs being cancelled and postponed. As people settled into new routines and spending more time at home, demand for these trades has started to rise.

Now that lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease, tradespeople are seeing a massive surge in demand. As homeowners continue to work from home, many are using this time to make improvements to their property. As a result, tradespeople across many industries have reported boosted revenues and high demand for their services in recent weeks.

Remote working boost for trades Workever

Creating Office Spaces

Many businesses have been forced to move their workforce out of their usual premises. Workers are getting to grips with the fact that they may have to work from home for many months.

Because of this, many homeowners are choosing to undergo renovations on their properties to create new office spaces. Basement and loft conversions are becoming popular and are used to create a new office and home working area. Garden rooms, orangeries and conservatories are also seeing a spike in popularity.

With families spending a lot more time at home, many need more space for work, school and everyday activities. Tradespeople are seeing a rise in the number of jobs requiring home renovations. In many places, builders are in high demand right now!

Remote working boost for trades Workever

Home Enhancements

In addition to accommodating more office space, many homeowners are choosing other home enhancements too. Window fitters have been in very high demand recently. This is because people want to enhance and improve the natural lighting and ventilation in their home.

Whether due to homeowners wanting a space to work, or having time to notice the downsides of their homes, it has seen an impact on tradespeople. The Press and Journal revealed “Twice the number of people are currently looking for tradespeople to install new windows than there were back in March.”.

Windows aren’t the only area of home improvements that homeowners are looking for at this current time. Soundproofing has also become much more popular and seen many tradespeople take on these kinds of projects. People are looking to soundproof offices for a quieter and less disruptive working from home environment.

Those who are homeschooling children or have little ones around all day are looking to soundproof children’s areas. Let’s not mention the noisy neighbours!

Remote working boost for trades Workever

Outdoor Spaces

As lockdown restrictions ease and people are able to meet other households outdoors, more people are spending time in gardens. In addition, the warm weather gracing the UK has seen homeowners flocking to their gardens. This additional outdoors time has made many realise that their gardens and outdoor spaces are in need of a revamp.

Landscapers, gardeners and tree surgeons have experienced a surge in business in recent weeks. Property owners are building new patios, decking and removing unwanted trees in order to improve their outdoor space.

Tradespeople have seen a significant boost in revenue and bookings, with some struggling to keep up with the demand. It is a stark difference to the beginning of the lockdown, where some gardeners were unable to work or obtain materials and equipment needed. Tradespeople in these problematic positions are now trying to juggle delayed jobs from the past few months, as well as meet increased demand.

Remote working boost for trades Workever

Changing Spending Habits

Whether homeowners are looking to renovate their loft, build a conservatory, or improve their garden, it’s no surprise that spending habits have changed. Instead of prioritising their finances for holidays, days out and entertainment, many are now choosing to spend on their properties.

report published by Legal & General stated that UK households are spending on average 31% less than before lockdown began. This reduction in spending has meant more people now have money to spend on the properties. This is leading to an increased demand for tradespeople across many industries.

Remote working boost for trades Workever

Dodgy DIY And Repairs

As more people are spending time at home and realising all those cracks and imperfections around, many are choosing to complete jobs themselves. A combination of more time at home and many tradespeople being unable to work during early lockdown has seen an increase in DIY jobs.

While some homeowners have been successful in their DIY projects, many others haven’t been so lucky.

A large number of less than perfect DIY attempts have resulted in emergency calls to tradespeople, including plumbers and electricians. Many tradespeople have reported an increase in jobs where they are required to fix a botched DIY attempt.

As local trade shops have been allowed to reopen their doors in recent weeks, many have seen huge queues from homeowners looking for supplies for their DIY projects. Redecorating has been one of the significant choices for DIY during the lockdown, but not always with complete success.

Tradespeople have reported homeowners using the wrong paint, failing to properly prepare for decoration and even injuries mid-way through the job. The BBC has reported on many failed DIY jobs during the lockdown, a lot of which have resulted in more work for tradespeople. The many failed DIY attempts have even resulted in an increase in home insurance premiums, as more and more homeowners have to claim for their mishaps.

Fortunately, with tradespeople now being allowed back into homes, hopefully, homeowners will call in the professionals for their home improvements rather than make costly mistakes which could increase their home insurance premiums.

If you’re heading back to work and will be working in people’s homes and gardens, make sure to read our post which covers the best safety tips for returning to work.


Remote working boost for trades Workever

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