B&Q Reveals DIY and Home Insights for 2025
Published 08 April 2025
4 min read
Leading British DIY chain B&Q has published its annual report The Way We Live Now, which distils how UK consumers are shopping for and inhabiting their dwellings, as well as the leading trends, attitudes and behaviours around modern home living. From renter renovators to the generational trade gap, we break down the four key trends.
- Lifelong Lodgings: Led by a mindset of ‘don’t move, improve’, homeowners are increasingly opting to stay in their homes for longer, with 68% of families adapting theirs to suit changing needs. According to B&Q’s data, 49% of homeowners have lived in their current residence for over a decade, with a further 61% planning to stay put for at least five years.
This future-proofing attitude is seeing 40% of homeowners undertaking radical renovations, including adding extensions (25%), converting attics and garages (11% and 5%, respectively), or building additional rooms in the garden (9%). This is particularly prescient, with working from home (adopted by 42% of respondents) and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis (46% of families have delayed downsizing to accommodate adult children cohabiting at home) shaping the way UK consumers are living. - Rental Renovators: As explored in Redesigning the DIY & Gardening Experience, a growing number of renters (68% of whom believe they will never be able to buy) are turning to DIY to personalise their spaces. With these tenants also planning to stay in these residences for longer, 72% are willing to spend money doing up their rental property to make it feel more like home.
Since becoming tenants, 54% have completed work including painting and decorating, tiling and replacing flooring, while 14% have undertaken projects such as knocking through walls or remodelling bathrooms or kitchens. - Amateur Experts: Across the UK, the post-pandemic DIY boom is continuing to gain traction (73% of respondents believe themselves to be capable DIYers, rising to 80% among Gen Z), with renters and homeowners emboldened to have a go by social media content.
Largely led by a confident cohort of millennial and Gen Z renovators (65% and 76%, respectively), 50% of respondents have used social media to learn how to complete DIY tasks, with 41% of Gen Zers sharing their efforts on social media. Instagram proves to be the most popular platform for inspiration (used by 55%), with TikTok a close second (49%).
Also reported by B&Q is the lack of gender barrier to DIY for Gen Z. While 78% of Gen Z women feel confident in their DIY capabilities (compared to 83% of men), this figure falls to 51% for baby boomer women (compared to 82% of men) – indicating that perceptions of DIY as a male-dominated activity are waning. - The Trade Gap: Despite a growing recreational interest in DIY among Gen Z, fewer young people are entering the construction trade professionally, leading to a generational gap.
According to the report, 47% of 18- to 25-year-olds have never considered working in the trade, aspiring instead to high-paying corporate careers with a positive social impact. However, of those who have entered trade professions, 39% cite good pay as their reason for doing so, while 30% note the ability to start their own company as a key driver.
This data suggests that the entrepreneurial nature of such career paths should be highlighted to encourage more young people to enter these professions and close the generational gap.
41% of Gen Z have shared their own DIY projects on social media
73% of the UK believe themselves to be capable DIY-ers
 41% of Gen Z have shared their own DIY projects on social media |  73% of the UK believe themselves to be capable DIY-ers |