Home improvement investments are set to continue to increase, with many homeowners upgrading outdoor spaces and creating workspaces.
This is according to Kandua, South Africa’s online home services marketplace.
“Renovation requests posted on Kandua.com have increased more than seven-fold – 750% when compared to April 2020,” says Royzanne M Kampher, Head of Human Capital Solutions/Operations at Kandua.
Kampher explains that Kandua partnered with home improvement retailer Leroy Merlin in 2018, to best service clients’ needs. Kandua has ±20 000 vetted and trusted ‘pros’ offering home improvement and renovation services to Leroy Merlin’s customer base.
“Customers can enjoy peace of mind knowing that they can make use of trusted professionals, and this can be paid for at the tills upon check out. We also have a Kandua.com representative in store to assist with any customer queries and to act as a liaison between the parties.”
Homeowners use the platform to connect with home service providers such as plumbers, electricians and builders, for example.
According to Kampher, the top five requests on Kandua are for movers, carpenters, plumbers, renovators and rubble removers.
French retailer, Leroy Merlin South Africa, reports an increase in demand for home improvement-related products and services over the past year.
Cedric Sennepin, Leroy Merlin South Africa CEO, says that since reopening in May 2020 following strict lockdown, they have experienced ongoing increases in sales.
The retailer has four stores in Gauteng including the Fourways store, which opened in March 2021. Other stores are located in Boksburg, Little Falls and Greenstone.
Kandua and Leroy Merlin say that renovating outdoor spaces to provide alternatives for entertaining small groups at home is a home improvement trend to watch.
Additionally, with work from home here to stay, upgrades in lighting and creating workspaces that are shielded from noise and interference will increase.
According to Kandua, renovations have also spiked as people are transforming their homes to adapt to their changing lifestyles.
The Absa Homeowner Sentiment Index Q1 2021 shows that an emerging theme has been that of property renovations being leveraged to improve security.
Of those surveyed, 45% said that alterations are an opportunity for improving security, with 73% saying this is a good time to renovate or make alterations to their properties.
Respondents said that renovating increases the value of their property (64%), and will bring better returns when selling (61%).
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Edited by Gudrun Kaiser
2 Responses
Despite the pandemic, certain industries have exploded. I am not surprised that home improvements is one of them. Another is, for example, the golf industry. One wonders why? I think that it is simple to deduce. People have (one example) not gone on holiday for 18 months. Local and overseas trips have been banned or limited. What happens to that budgeted but unspent cash? Home improvements and new gold clubs.
I agree Peter, if you were not renovating your home you would have being doing something else. Interesting about the golf industry, and what many other industries have boomed or will continue to thrive amid the pandemic.