What do homeowners want from their kitchens and what are the challenges they face when renovating? The 2025 UK Houzz Kitchen Trends Study* revealed the answer to these and other questions about the choices clients make when updating their cook spaces. Read on to discover what influences homeowners’ decisions during their kitchen renovation projects.
*Percentages reflect the proportion of homeowners who are updating, or have updated, the kitchen as part of a completed, current or planned kitchen renovation during 2024-25.
What do clients want from their kitchen renovations?
Storage is key for homeowners when it comes to the functionality of their kitchens, with 63% of those who responded to the Kitchen Trends Study saying that ease of storage was the most important aspect for them.
Just under half wanted their kitchen to be easy to clean and disinfect, while 30% wanted it to be a sociable space for entertaining and somewhere for the family to gather. Cooking was also important, of course, with 25% wanting a space where it was easy to cook large meals.
Stylewise, just over half of respondents wanted their kitchen to be filled with natural light, while 46% wanted it to integrate with the rest of the house. Personality is another big factor for homeowners, as 35% wanted their kitchen to reflect who they are, and 32% wanted the space to make a statement.
Which professionals do clients hire for their kitchen renovations?
When it comes to designing a kitchen, homeowners call on the services of a range of professionals, including architects, builders and window covering specialists.
The majority of those who responded to our survey (61%) hired tradespeople such as electricians, painters and plumbers to help with their project, while kitchen fitters and kitchen designers were in second place with 45% and 44%, respectively, of homeowners saying they’d hired these professionals for their job.
Around 30% of those who took part hired either an architect or a home builder, and almost a quarter called on the skills of a cabinet-maker or carpenter. Another popular pro category among survey respondents was design and build, with around 20% hiring this type of firm for their project.
How do homeowners decide who to hire for their kitchen project?
Most clients are looking to be reassured by a recommendation or reference (67%) and 14% say online reviews are an important factor in their decision about who to hire. They also want to see that the professional has experience with a similar scope (36%) and style (21%) of project to their own.
With all of this in mind, it pays to ensure your Houzz profile is up to date, with plenty of positive reviews and portfolio images to show your past projects, particularly as 70% of renovators said they found it difficult to find a pro they could trust.
Cost is a big factor for a lot of clients, with nearly half saying it’s important that the professional’s pricing is within their budget. Many respondents said they found it a challenge to get an estimate or proposal with enough detail (48%) and that a lack of financial transparency was an issue for them (25%).
Of course, time is a factor when it comes to creating accurate estimates, so it’s worth taking a deep dive into Houzz Pro tools such as the Estimate Builder, which allows you to put together detailed estimates quickly and accurately using templates.
What do clients find challenging during a kitchen renovation?
Of all the things that can prove stressful during a kitchen renovation, the thing that stood out most for our respondents was a lack of communication. Just under half said they found it a challenge to get timely and accurate communication from their professionals; more than half said it was difficult to understand timeline changes, and a third said they were frustrated when it came to tracking the budget.
With this in mind, it really is important to have a means of communication where you can update your clients frequently and keep them in the know about budget and timeline changes. Houzz Pro users can do this efficiently with the Client Dashboard, where they can communicate with clients in real time, share daily logs, and update an incredibly useful Schedule feature that even allows them to assign tasks to their clients.
Are clients thinking about long-term needs when renovating their kitchens?
There was a big focus on futureproofing kitchens among our survey respondents, with 35% saying they wanted to make the room easy to use for ageing household members.
Features they added to address these needs included additional lighting (40%), pull-out cupboards (40%), non-slip flooring (38%) and wide drawer pulls (32%). Rounded worktops were incorporated by 22% of respondents, while 15% said they’d included wheelchair-accessible doorways and walkways.
How important is sustainability to clients when updating their kitchens?
Sustainability is certainly taken into consideration by the majority of kitchen renovators, with only 11% of survey participants saying they didn’t choose any sustainable options for their space.
LED light bulbs are an easy swap to make and, indeed, 72% of respondents chose them for their project. Nearly 60% went for energy-efficient appliances, and just under half chose energy-efficient windows.
42% went for a timeless design to reduce wastage, while other sustainable additions included VOC-free paints and coatings, eco-friendly flooring and materials, light dimmers, and recycled materials.
How do clients use their renovated kitchens?
Unsurprisingly, nearly all of the survey participants use their new kitchen for cooking, with 66% saying they cook family meals at home every day, while 71% enjoy baking in their renovated space.
Socialising is another thing people use their kitchens for (68%), while 45% like to entertain in this particular room. A third of respondents use their new kitchen to do work or homework, a quarter like to read, and another quarter enjoy doing crafting and projects in the space.
