The future of the home improvement industry appears bright given the twin engines of demand: enhancing spaces people spend much of their lives in and increasing the value of their most valuable asset.

Australia’s home improvement and renovation sector has benefitted from the fact Australians spent more time at home because of Covid-19 – and statistics show there was still considerable pent-up demand as the pandemic receded.

Market research conducted by online bathroom retailer The Blue Space revealed that 37% of homeowners expected to renovate their home in 2021 at an average spend – often inflated by reallocated holiday cash – of $26,000.

Another survey carried out by interior decor website Houzz, meanwhile, found that Australians were most likely to renovate their kitchen, followed by the bathroom, bedrooms, living room and outside spaces.

Franchise industry trends

Some home improvement franchises only sell territories to tradespeople, who sometimes rebrand existing independent businesses. Others welcome applications from white-collar professionals too.

Whatever a franchisee’s skillset, the franchisor can plug knowledge gaps with training and/or support in areas such as marketing, lead generation and back-office administration.

Moreover, their buying power and fine-tuned business model helps to keep prices low for customers.

Home improvement franchises include everything from hardware and furniture retailers to self-storage and home renovation firms.

Thermawood, for example, retrofits double glazing in wooden window frames and promises energy-efficient, noise-minimizing, characterful products.

Reliance Roof Restoration guarantees a weekly franchisee income of $2,000-$4,000, and a return on investment within 24-48 weeks.

Refresh and Renovare, meanwhile, are design-and-build renovation franchises that promise franchisees great deals on equipment, tools and building materials.

Handyman franchise Fantastic Services guarantees a full weekly schedule of jobs and a dedicated app and back-end system that ease the administrative burden.

For outside enhancements, Kwik Kerb is a global leader in continuous concrete edging, while Poolwerx is pool and spa retail and maintenance specialist.