Renovating Regions

From sprucing up the home's interior with a lick of paint to more complex jobs such as extensions, Brits love to renovate, but where in the UK are homeowners carrying out the most renovation work, and where is the most building work taking place?

In this research, we will explore factors such as the number of planning applications submitted and successfully approved, the number of homes being built and the cities where residents are searching for renovation-related topics the most.

To bolster our findings, we will share expert tips on renovating your home on a budget while not missing out on an ‘expensive’ aesthetic. Whether you want to add a fresh look to your home with wooden blinds or seek more privacy with roller blinds, you can do plenty of small things to transform your space.

Preston is the UK’s Most Popular City for Home Renovations

1. Preston
Renovations Score: 9.41 out of 10

Preston, a city in Lancashire, recorded the best score for its renovating factors, scoring 9.41 out of 10. In the year ending March 2023, 1,210 new builds were started (820 dwellings per 100,000 people), and 475 planning applications were submitted. Over 96% of these applications were approved. 

2. Boston
Renovations Score: 8.65 out of 10

Boston, a market town in the county of Lincolnshire, placed second in our rankings, scoring 8.65 out of 10. Boston maintained a 94% approval rating for planning permission in the last year, and 480 new builds were started (per 100,000 people). There were over 5,579 searches (per 100,000) in the last year for local renovation searches, suggesting plenty of interest in home improvement from people in the area.

3. Mansfield
Renovations Score: 8.01 out of 10

Mansfield is another popular city for home renovation, placing third with a score of 8.01 out of 10. Mansfield has started fewer new builds in the last year than Boston, on average (208 per 100,000 people) but held a higher success rate for planning applications (98%). There were, however, fewer searches for local handymen (5,371 per 100,000).

Lancaster is the UK’s Least Popular City for Home Renovations

1. Lancaster
Renovations Score: 0.94 out of 10

Lancaster, a city in northwest England, recorded the lowest score for its renovating factors, scoring 0.94 out of 10. In the year ending March 2023, there were just 91 new builds started per 100,000 people). There were 636 planning applications submitted, and 531 were granted, meaning that 83% of applications were approved.

2.  Luton
Renovations Score: 1.35 out of 10

The Bedfordshire town of Luton placed second in our rankings, scoring 1.35 out of 10. Luton approves 80% of planning permission applications, and just 58 new builds were started (per 100,000 people) in the last year. There were just 1,841 searches (per 100,000) for local renovation services in the last year.

3. Bradford
Renovations Score: 2.28 out of 10 

Bradford placed third with a score of 2.28 out of 10. Bradford has started more new builds in the last year than Bradford, on average (137 new dwellings started per 100,000 people), and held a slightly lower success rate for planning applications (83%). There were, however, fewer searches for local handymen (1,817 per 100,000).

Milton Keynes Builds the Most New Homes, with 861 New Builds Started per 100,000 People

Milton Keynes recorded the highest number of permanent dwellings started in 2023, with 2,480 new builds started in the last year. This is equivalent to 861 new dwellings when compared to its population (861 new builds started per 100,000 people).

Preston came second with 1,210 new builds (820 per 100,000 people), followed by Lichfield in Staffordshire, with 850 new dwellings, equivalent to 795 new homes per 100,000 people.

Slough recorded the fewest permanent dwellings started in 2023, with 10 new builds started in the last year. This is equivalent to six new dwellings when compared to its population (6 permanent dwellings started per 100,000 people).

Portsmouth came second with 70 new builds (34 per 100,000 people), followed by Norwich, with 50 new dwellings, equivalent to just 35 new homes per 100,000 people.

Winchester has an Almost 98% Success Rate for Planning Applications

Winchester, a city in the county of Hampshire, recorded the highest success rate on planning applications, with 1,039 applications submitted and 1,015 applications granted, recording a 97.69% success rate.

Mansfield placed second with an approval success rate of 97.67%, and Solihull third with a 96.83% success rate.

Southend-on-Sea recorded the lowest success rate on planning applications, with 928 applications submitted and just 714 applications granted, recording a 76.94% success rate.

Blackpool placed second with an approval success rate of 76.98%, and Leicester third with a 77.63% success rate.

Liverpool Searches for Renovation Services the Most, with 61,987 Searches per 100,000 in the Last Year

Liverpool recorded the highest number of searches for local renovation services in the last twelve months. There were 300,320 searches in the last year, and compared to its population, this equates to 61,987 searches per 100,000 people, suggesting an abundance of interest for home renovations in the area.

In second place is Norwich, with 10,750 searches (7,511 searches per 100,000), and Preston, with 8,820 searches for local handymen (5,975 searches per 100,000).

Top tips for renovating your home on a budget

Many Brits are reluctant to consider home renovation, automatically thinking “expensive”. Here are five home renovation ideas perfect for upgrades and redos on a budget:

1. New Countertops 

Cabinets and countertop fixtures are expensive, but if your cabinets are in good condition, you can indulge in new countertops and upgrade one of the hardest working surfaces in your home.

 2. Change your kitchen backsplash

You can add fresh colour to your kitchen by swapping out a tired backsplash for one that adds visual appeal. There are options for tile, stone, glass, ceramic and beaded board, and many possibilities to suit your budget.

 3. Add a kitchen 'island'

To add more cooking space to your kitchen, you can add a stand-alone table or cabinet. The more extras you add, the more this home renovation idea will cost, so if a low-cost budget is your goal, start with a simple table. If you already have a table with no use, it's a great idea to make it an island.

 4. Change your window dressings

Ready-made blinds are often the cheapest option for updating your window dressings and can enhance the aesthetic of your home. One of the best window dressing options to consider is wooden blinds, as they can be made to fit any window area and come in various
colours and designs.

 5. Update your living room flooring

There are many low-cost options to give your room a budget-friendly upgrade underfoot. Plenty of peel-and-stick flooring options are thin enough, so you don’t have to remove existing flooring.

6. Install dimmer switches

Many traditional homes have limited overhead lighting, which can cause difficulties when trying to get the right balance of light. In these instances, installing a dimmer switch can be a quick and easy home renovation idea. You can keep it bright when accomplishing tasks, but turn it down for softer lighting comfortable for lounging.

Methodology 

We began by taking the number of completed new builds by city as of March 2023 from the Office for National Statistics.

We collected each city’s population from the ONS for 2021. We were unable to collect data for some cities as they were part of a larger metropolitan area.

We also examined the number of submitted and granted planning applications from the ONS for the year ending March 2023. We used these figures to calculate an approval success percentage.

We looked at searches in every city for carpenters, electricians, painters and plumbers using Google Keyword Planner between November 2022 and October 2023. 

We took each city’s score for every factor and normalised them against each other to collect a score out of 10.