The Home Improvement Index 2024
Regional Profiles: East Midlands
Recent trends in home improvement applications in the East Midlands suggest a more resilient market than most over the period 2019 to 2023. Wealthier boroughs, notably Rutland, top the regional rankings with many seeing more applications in 2023 than in 2019. But South Holland in the Fens stands out. It saw applications per 1,000 homes in 2023 above its pre-pandemic peak, helped no doubt by bigger than average rises in house prices.
East Midlands - Change in applications by type 2022 & 2023
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Overall, applications in 2023 broadly tracked the national average, down 12%. This drop left the level 6% below the 2019 figure, smaller than the national average fall. Earnings growth has broadly tracked the UK average, while house prices have performed slightly better.
East Midlands - Regional Home improvement apps per 1k private homes
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In line with national trends, extension applications fell sharply in 2023 to 16% below the level in 2019, slightly worse than the national average. But the figures on loft works were better. Even a 9% drop in 2023 left the numbers 7% up on 2019. Applications for garden works and buildings were also down in 2023 but remain 14% up on 2019. Positively, the numbers citing insulation almost doubled in 2023 to almost six times the 2019 level. The region saw more applications citing insulation per 1,000 homes than any other. The figures for solar panels continued to grow strongly, although below the national average.
East Midlands - Average House price at Dec 2023 & annual change
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East Midlands - Top 10 districts for home improvement
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*The rankings are based on the number of home improvement applications, as defined by Barbour ABI (see methodology), per 1,000 private homes. Given the impacts of the pandemic, 2023 is compared with 2019 as benchmark.
East Midlands - Share of regional applications involving key types in 2023
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*Note: A single application may include any number of the above key types
East Midlands - Regional spending on alterations and improvement to homes over 2021 and 2022
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Source: ONS Family Expenditure Survey.
Caveat: The data can vary significantly year to year given sample the sizes. This is partially smoothed in our use of the data by taking an average over two years.
