Irish homeowners love improving and renovating their homes and 2019 was no exception.

As a nation, we tend to devour home improvement content on social media sites like Instagram and through TV shows such as ‘Room To Improve’.

Here at Onlinetradesmen, we have also seen this passion translate into significant amounts of home improvement activity and spend.

The number of home improvement jobs submitted by homeowners via the platform grew by 18% in 2019 and we also passed the 1 Million jobs mark, with demand already showing signs of continuing in 2020.

To-date the cumulative value of home improvement jobs submitted since Onlinetradesmen’s launch in 2006 is over €3.2Bn.

With demand for verified trade professionals set to continue in 2020, there has never been a better time to be a self-employed trade professional in Ireland.

Following is a summary of the most popular home improvement projects submitted via Onlinetradesmen in 2019.

Bathroom Refurbishments

Internal refurbishment jobs rose by 164% in 2019 and the most popular type of refurbishment was bathroom upgrades.

Whether it's a refit, refurbishment or a complete remodel, homeowner investment in bathrooms is never a wasted project as they often improve the quality of living as well as tend to add value to your home.

Home Extensions

With home extensions job growth of 136% ‘improve, don't move’, appears to be the mantra many homeowners have adopted in 2019.

Extending the home to make it more suitable for a homeowner’s needs now and in the future will continue to be a popular choice including kitchen renovations and attic conversions.

Interior Painting

Irish homeowners have bought into the transformative power of a new coat of paint, with internal painting jobs up 220% in 2019.

Whether it's renovating a room or simply a change of décor, painting either inside or outside the home has many practical advantages, including increasing the value as well as curb appeal.

Landscaping

Over the year, Irish homeowners have embraced their gardens as landscaping jobs grew by over 151% in 2019.

Landscaping with plants, structures and other features including hardscaping continues to drive demand for landscapers and gardeners.

Handyman Jobs

You know it’s time to call a handyman when you have those jobs that are too small for a tradesman but too time-consuming to do-it-yourself. In 2019, flat pack assembly was just that job – up by 142%.

Handymen are also skilled in a wide range of repairs or maintenance work for both interior and exterior odd jobs around the home. Those jobs that you sometimes don't have the time to do yourself.

Onlinetradesmen, which connects Irish property owners to verified trade professionals nationwide, has seen the strongest home improvement activity growth in Dublin, followed by Cork and Kildare. Cumulatively the service, which offers 130 home improvement and repair job categories, has seen year-on-year jobs growth of 118% in 2019.