Massive Half Term DIY Demand Predicted For October As Homeowners Improve Rather Than Move Amidst Tough Housing Market
Posted by: user_amy 17th September 2026
With the housing market subdued and buyers waiting on the autumn Budget for economic news, more homeowners are choosing to improve the homes they already have, with DIY demand due to peak to unprecedented levels over the October half term, according to Europe’s largest building services and DIY marketplace.
HSS ProService Marketplace expects the October school holiday period to be one of the busiest home improvement weeks of the year, with the sharpest concentration of home improvement activity since the spring. It is the last full week before the winter weather sets in, the clocks have just gone back, and for most families in England it is five days at home with the jobs list in plain view.
ONS figures show private housing repair, maintenance and improvement grew by 4.1% in the first quarter of 2026.
With the average cost of moving in England now £17,831 and ONS also recording annual house price growth slowing to 2.0% in the year to June 2026, investing in the home you already own has become an attractive option for a growing number of households.
On current indications, HSS ProService Marketplace believes October DIY work is likely to look markedly different from the spring peak, where projects tended to be cosmetic and outdoor, with BBQs, patios and decking work dominating DIYers to-do-lists.
In contrast, the autumn DIY focus is expected to be about making a home work harder through the winter. The Met Office is suggesting the UK may experience cold-weather extremes, so draught proofing and loft insulation, sealing doors and windows, clearing gutters, and treating damp are expected to be top priorities.
Demand is forecast to concentrate in a predictable set of categories: on hire, tools such as floor sanders, wallpaper strippers, carpet cleaners, dehumidifiers, ladders and access towers are all expected to move quickly.
On the materials side, timber, plasterboard, insulation, sealants, fixings and decorating sundries are expected to follow the same curve, with orders likely to be placed in the days immediately before the half term week rather than during it.
Matt Denton, Head of Ecommerce at HSS ProService Marketplace, said “We are anticipating one of the busiest weeks of our year. When moving looks expensive and unappealing because of market conditions, people spend on the house they are in, making structural and comfort-driven improvements. The half term is the window where they finally get to do it. What we are anticipating is a shift in the type of job rather than simply more of them. This is not decorating to sell. It is people making the home work better for the long term, and that changes what they hire.”
He added “The other thing we expect to see is earlier planning. A five-day job loses a day if the Monday is spent driving round buying materials. We are advising customers to book equipment and order materials together, for delivery before the week starts, because the popular lines go quickly once the week is under way.”
Through the Hire & Buy service, customers can hire equipment and purchase materials in a single transaction across a nationwide supplier network, whether the job is a weekend of decorating or a full winter’s worth of work.
By bringing hire and buy together in one service, HSS ProService Marketplace is reducing the friction, delays and admin burden that come with managing multiple suppliers, helping homeowners and tradespeople complete the work within the time they have.
