Typical price of some popular home improvements ‘has reduced in recent months'
The Checkatrade Home Improvement Index found that prices for bathroom fittings have dropped significantly, with the average cost at £5,525 in the second quarter of this year, down from £5,758 in the first quarter and £6,062 in the final quarter of 2024.
In the second quarter of 2025, the average kitchen fitting job was £6,803, down from £7,337 in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Typical bedroom fitting costs fell to £3,631 in the second quarter of this year, down from £4,016 in the first quarter.
Average prices for painting and decorating, window and door fitting and plastering have also fallen during this year, the analysis indicates.
Some price falls have also been seen for bigger-scale building jobs, from £15,358 on average in the third quarter of last year to £12,369 in the second quarter of this year.
Checkatrade said typical costs for groundworks and for patios and driveways have also seen some reductions.
The second quarter of the year is often a popular time for outdoor work to take place ahead of summer.
The website, which has a job estimate calculator, said that, just as rising costs of materials led to price increases last year, some costs falling back are likely to be a key reason behind some declining prices for work.
Checkatrade also said that, with the UK having already seen a hot summer, air conditioning prices have also recently been falling.
Recent data from Zoopla, which has announced a strategic partnership with Checkatrade, indicated that, if sold in summer, air conditioning could potentially add £4,925 to a property's value typically.
Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade, said: 'The latest figures are brilliant news for homeowners. Last year we saw rising costs in the industry, propelled by high material and labour costs.
'A reduction in material costs in particular now appears to be having an impact on reducing the wider cost of work and we are starting to see a return to more normal levels.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
8 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump says he 'wants to see Scotland thrive' during visit
The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Donald Trump has said he wants to see Scotland 'thrive' during his visit to the country. The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Flanked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the 79-year-old was asked if changes could be made to the UK-US trade deal, which would benefit Scotland. He said: 'I have great love for Scotland.' Speaking of his mother, the President said she would 'religiously' return home every year. He jokingly added: 'When we do our trade deal, a lot of it comes to Scotland, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.' He continued: 'We deal with the UK, but a lot of it comes to Scotland. I was very particular, because this is a part of the world I want to see thrive.' Despite the trade deal agreed between the two countries, a 10% tariff remains on Scotch whisky, one of the country's biggest exports. Asked earlier if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.' Scottish First Minister John Swinney is expected to raise the issue when he meets the President during his visit to his second course in Aberdeenshire before he returns to the US. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast on Monday. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place. 'Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. 'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Worcester curry house's HMO bid rejected over listed fears
Plans to build student housing above an Indian restaurant in Worcester have been owners of the Bombay Palace in The Tything, Worcester, had wanted to build a two-storey extension to create a six-bed house of multiple occupation (HMO).City planners said the development would harm the Grade II listed building and would fail to respect the character of the to plans submitted to Worcester City Council, the two floors above Bombay Palace are currently empty. A statement with the application said the proposal would have provided much needed student accommodation for the city as well as more income for the plan was that the two-storey extension at the back of the building would have allowed the restaurant to extend its kitchen - and increase the living space in the upper would have had their own separate access to the HMO rooms through an external metal news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'Greedy' National Crime Agency officer jailed after stealing £4.4 million in bitcoin from dark web drug dealer a 'first of its kind case', specialist prosecutor tells Mail podcast
A former National Crime Agency employee has 'destroyed his good life and career' after being jailed for stealing 50 Bitcoin from a dark web drug dealer, a prosecutor has told an exclusive Mail podcast. Paul Chowles, 42, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for stealing Bitcoin now worth £4.4 million from a drug dealer who was under investigation in 2017. Drug dealer Thomas White, who operated a dark web marketplace known as 'Silk Road 2.0' from his Liverpool home, alerted police to Chowles after telling investigators that proceeds from his criminal enterprise had gone missing. Chowles's theft went undetected for five years as he used his expertise in cybercrime to conceal his ill-gotten gains. Speaking to the Mail's Trial Plus podcast, specialist prosecutor Alex Johnson, who worked for the Crown Prosecution Service against Chowles, described why the case is truly 'a first of its kind.' Johnson said: 'When the Bitcoin was stolen in 2017, it was worth around £59,000. During the investigation, the value of Bitcoin exploded. 'The stolen Bitcoin would now be worth in excess of £4 million. An interesting aspect of the case was that Chowles was able to spend more money than he had stolen because the value of it went up during the time it was in his possession. 'Chowles was extremely calculated in the way he dealt with the stolen Bitcoin. He moved it into a system on the dark web called the Bitcoin fog. 'It was a way criminals could effectively wash dirty Bitcoin and send it back to themselves as clean Bitcoin. 'Merseyside police had to carry out an extremely diligent investigation to locate the Bitcoin, including hiring an expert to locate every transaction within the fog… this showed the Bitcoin being transferred into an account which could be linked unequivocally to Chowles.' Chowles was not only strategic in concealing the Bitcoin's transfer, but also careful in how he spent the stolen money. He avoided 'flashy' purchases, using his newfound wealth to buy groceries and home supplies. 'Chowles spent the money on fairly routine things', Johnson told the podcast. 'Working through his bank statements showed purchases at Asda, Sainsburys, Screw Fix and visits to local pubs and restaurants. 'He was careful – no holidays to the Bahamas or Ferraris or anything like that. Just day to day spending. 'Chowles used the stolen Bitcoin for more than 900 transactions and was able to carry out debit card and bank transfers of just under £80,000.' The specialist prosecutor emphasised that the lengthy prison sentence sends a strong message to potential Bitcoin criminals. 'At the end of the day, Chowles is a greedy and dishonest officer who decided he would breach public trust and steal something he should have been protecting', Johnson said. 'He's a family man. He lives with his partner… he really has destroyed what was a good career and a good life. 'I think for him to go to prison at this stage of his life must be real deterrent for anyboy else who might be looking at what's happened and considering doing the same thing.' Chowles was able to get hold of White's Bitcoin by accessing one of several USB drives containing the digital currency that had been seized from White's address. White operated online under the alias, 'Dread Pirate Roberts', a reference to the 1987 fantasy film The Princess Bride. In the film, the name Dread Pirate Roberts is passed down through generations of fearsome pirates, when their last leader retires. The USB drive containing the Bitcoin was titled 'Dread Pirate Roberts retirement fund', which led Johnson to make an amusing observation. 'Chowles considered this his retirement fund – and in doing so, became the new Dread Pirate Roberts!'
