It is also one which is open to a wide variety of people. If you have a passion for interior design, or just a natural eye for how to transform a space, this is a sector which you will find hugely rewarding on a personal level – something which is essential when choosing the right franchise. Usually, you don’t need any prior experience at all, as the best franchises will train you from the ground up and are designed to reward ambition and dedication above all else. However, even if you are approaching this purely as a business opportunity, the financial returns on offer should quickly tick all the right boxes.
So, how do you decide if it’s the right route for you, and how do you go about choosing the best opportunity? Let’s take a closer look.
The pros and cons of choosing a home improvement franchise
Pros:
- A market that never stands still. Millions of British homeowners are constantly improving, renovating, and upgrading their properties. Unlike many discretionary purchases, home improvement projects often feel essential – whether it’s a kitchen that desperately needs updating, a loft sitting empty and unused, or a bathroom that’s seen better days. The demand is consistent, and it’s not going anywhere.
- Recession resistant demand. Unlike many other industries, home improvement performs consistently well regardless of ups and downs in the economy. When it becomes too expensive to move house, homeowners want to improve what they have and protect their home’s value. When the economy is stronger, they are more inclined to take on more new home projects, or want to give a new property a fresh look when they move up the housing ladder.
- Repeat business and word-of-mouth. Happy homeowners talk. A beautifully renovated kitchen or a newly boarded and accessible loft space is exactly the kind of thing people show off to friends and family, and then recommend. Strong word-of-mouth and local reputation can become one of your most powerful tools.
- Flexibility in how you run the business. As we’ll explore in more detail below, many home improvement franchises can be run in very different ways – from a hands-on, trade-based approach to a management model where you oversee a team of fitters and sales staff. This gives you real flexibility to build a business that fits your lifestyle and skills.
- Scalable growth potential. Whether you want to operate as a sole trader with a single van and territory, or build a multi-territory operation employing dozens of people, most home improvement franchises are designed to grow with you.
Cons:
- Higher investment costs than some other sectors. If you are looking at traditional showroom based models, you can expect a substantial initial investment to get up and running. Of course, you can also expect higher returns in the long run, too. That said, the sector offers genuine variety in terms of entry cost. Van-based models like Access4Lofts sit at the more accessible end of the scale, while Kitchen Makeovers operates without a showroom entirely, focusing on in-home consultations and quick transformations. goodbrother™ Kitchens takes a more streamlined approach to the showroom model, keeping overheads lower than a traditional kitchen retailer.
- Managing tradespeople. If you plan to grow and take on fitters or installers, managing sub-contractors or employees adds a layer of complexity. You need to be confident in your ability to recruit, manage, and maintain quality standards, or be willing to learn how to do so. Fortunately, this is something a strong franchise will give you a great deal of help with.
Hands-on or management model – which is right for you?
One of the most important questions to ask yourself before diving in is: what kind of role do I actually want to play in my business? Home improvement franchises tend to fall into two broad camps, and understanding the difference will help you find the best fit for you.
Hands-on / owner-operator model
In a hands-on model, you are the business. You carry out the work – installations, surveys, fittings – and will handle customer relationships and sales to a certain extent, depending on the exact model. This is a great option if you already have practical skills, or if you want to be closely involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
A franchise like Access4Lofts, which specialises in loft ladders, loft hatches, and loft boarding, is a great example of this kind of model. Franchisees carry out the installations themselves, working within a defined territory and building their reputation locally. The work is practical, satisfying, and doesn’t require years of specialist trade training to get started – the franchise provides comprehensive hands-on training to get you up to speed.
As you grow the business, however, you might decide to step back from the work yourself and allow your teams to take over while you work at a managerial level.
Management / owner-manager model
In a management model, your role is to build and run a team, rather than necessarily carry out the work yourself. You focus on sales, customer relationships, operations, and growth, while fitters or installers do the hands-on work. This is a great option if you come from a business or management background, or if you have ambitions to build a larger, multi-territory operation.
Both Kitchen Makeovers and goodbrother™ Kitchens are excellent examples of franchises which lend themselves well to this kind of approach. As a franchisee, you might choose to be very hands-on initially – carrying out surveys, meeting customers, and being closely involved in projects – before stepping back into a more strategic role as your business grows and your team expands.
So, how do you choose the right home improvement franchise?
There are a growing number of home improvement franchises available in the UK, covering everything from kitchen renovations and refurbishments to loft storage solutions and bathroom transformations. The choice can feel overwhelming, but here are the key things to look at when evaluating any opportunity:
Is there a real, proven demand for what they offer?
A great franchise model means nothing if the service isn’t something homeowners actually want and need. The good news is that in home improvement, demand tends to be both strong and resilient. Take Access4Lofts for example – the UK has tens of millions of homes with attic space, the vast majority of which is unused, and there is currently no established national brand offering this service. Similarly, kitchen renovation is one of the most consistently popular home improvement projects in the country, making brands like Kitchen Makeovers and goodbrother™ Kitchens very well placed to tap into an enormous and ongoing market.
What makes them stand out from the competition?
The home improvement market is a busy one, so it’s worth looking at what each franchise does to differentiate itself. goodbrother™ Kitchens, for example, has built its identity around a next-generation customer experience – going beyond simply fitting kitchens to create a journey that customers genuinely enjoy. In a market where many competitors are still doing things the old way, that kind of fresh thinking is a genuine competitive advantage.
Kitchen Makeovers, meanwhile, has built an impressive reputation over many years and even has the awards to prove it. Their proprietary My Makeovers CRM system is another strong differentiator, helping franchisees manage their business efficiently from day one.
Can you genuinely get behind what you’ll be selling?
This might sound obvious, but it’s worth saying: the most successful franchisees are the ones who genuinely believe in what they’re doing. If you’re passionate about beautiful home design, kitchen and renovation concepts are a great match. If you’re a practical person who loves the satisfaction of solving a problem and making something work brilliantly, something more like a loft storage solution business might be your calling. Whatever you choose, you need to be able to give it 100%, and that’s much easier when you love what you do.
It’s a lot to think about but you don’t have to go it alone
Any franchise worth your time will be more than happy to answer your questions, walk you through their numbers, and give you a clear picture of what success actually looks like for their franchisees. A mark of a great franchise is that they want to find the right fit just as much as you do and are not just looking to sell a franchise to anyone who comes along.
If you’re still not sure where to start, we can help with that too. Our free Franchise Matchmaking Service is designed to take a proper look at your skills, background, and goals, and point you towards the opportunities that are genuinely well suited to you. Why not give it a go?
Click here to get started: Free Franchise Matchmaking Service
If you’d like to learn more about what’s involved, you can also schedule an informal call with me anytime using the button below.
I look forward to helping you on your journey!
John Overdijking
Franchisee Recruitment Specialist & Partner
