\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpdated:<\/p>
1.12.2025<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share on:<\/h4><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>W<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\ne all have a bit of that nosy-neighbour curiosity when it comes to home improvement. Afterall, any upgrades in your neighbourhood affect the relative value of your own home, so it\u2019s only natural to wonder what they\u2019re getting done.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>More than that, we also love knowing the details. When it comes to renovations, we\u2019re curious about budgets and timelines, which tradies they hired, paint colours, decking materials \u2014 anything really, so that you can start your project with a bit more confidence.<\/p>\n
Our Projects Stories go into this kind of detail (more on that later), and to close out the year, we\u2019re bringing you the top home improvement trends as seen on Builderscrack in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Here\u2019s what your fellow neighbours have been up to this year, based on data from 100,000 job posts nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/shutterstock_559992391-scaled.jpg\" "\\"shutterstock_559992391\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Because we\u2019re all a bit curious about what\u2019s happening next door\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>1. Fixing stuff came first<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>2025 was the year of \u201cright, let\u2019s finally sort that\u201d. Across the country, homeowners jumped back into repairs that had been ignored, delayed, or DIYed one too many times.<\/p>\n
The words \u201crepair\u201d and \u201creplace\u201d commonly appeared in job descriptions, reflecting a continued focus on keeping everything ticking along without the price tag of \u201cnew\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Deck repairs<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Ceiling and wall patch-ups<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Floorboard fixes<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
General handyman jobs<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Plumbing repairs, and<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Appliance troubleshooting.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
It\u2019s not glamorous work that you\u2019d brag to your neighbour about, but it is necessary. People were keeping their homes in good working order and squeezing more life out of the things they already had.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/i><\/div>Trend takeaway<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\nFixing the essentials was the national mood, so if you were feeling any sort of way about not being able to tackle that big reno yet, you weren\u2019t alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/shutterstock_245121598-1.jpg\" "\\"shutterstock_245121598")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What\u2019s been happening on your side of the fence?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>2. Light renos over full makeovers<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>For those that had a big project on the cards this year, instead of fully gutting kitchens and bathrooms, they went for smart, selective improvements to ensure that the top priorities were taken care of first.<\/p>\n
We saw a focus on:<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Decks and pergolas<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Extensions and alterations<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
New vanities and showers<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Updated tapware and sinks<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Refaced cabinetry<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
New doors and windows<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Tweaks to layout (NZ\u2019s fav: removing a load-bearing wall).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
Another trend was phased, DIY-style project management. If homeowners were taking on a bigger project, homeowners spaced out their renos in stages to spread out costs, line up subtrades and avoid blowing the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/i><\/div>Trend takeaway<\/h2><\/div><\/div>\nYou can get meaningful improvements done on a budget by identifying the highest use areas where functionality impacts daily life the most. One or two well-chosen upgrades can completely shift how your home looks and feels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
W<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n e all have a bit of that nosy-neighbour curiosity when it comes to home improvement. Afterall, any upgrades in your neighbourhood affect the relative value of your own home, so it\u2019s only natural to wonder what they\u2019re getting done.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> More than that, we also love knowing the details. When it comes to renovations, we\u2019re curious about budgets and timelines, which tradies they hired, paint colours, decking materials \u2014 anything really, so that you can start your project with a bit more confidence.<\/p>\n Our Projects Stories go into this kind of detail (more on that later), and to close out the year, we\u2019re bringing you the top home improvement trends as seen on Builderscrack in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div> Here\u2019s what your fellow neighbours have been up to this year, based on data from 100,000 job posts nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Because we\u2019re all a bit curious about what\u2019s happening next door\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> 2025 was the year of \u201cright, let\u2019s finally sort that\u201d. Across the country, homeowners jumped back into repairs that had been ignored, delayed, or DIYed one too many times.<\/p>\n The words \u201crepair\u201d and \u201creplace\u201d commonly appeared in job descriptions, reflecting a continued focus on keeping everything ticking along without the price tag of \u201cnew\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div> Deck repairs<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Ceiling and wall patch-ups<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Floorboard fixes<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> General handyman jobs<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Plumbing repairs, and<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Appliance troubleshooting.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul> It\u2019s not glamorous work that you\u2019d brag to your neighbour about, but it is necessary. People were keeping their homes in good working order and squeezing more life out of the things they already had.<\/p>\n<\/div> Fixing the essentials was the national mood, so if you were feeling any sort of way about not being able to tackle that big reno yet, you weren\u2019t alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> What\u2019s been happening on your side of the fence?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div> For those that had a big project on the cards this year, instead of fully gutting kitchens and bathrooms, they went for smart, selective improvements to ensure that the top priorities were taken care of first.<\/p>\n We saw a focus on:<\/p>\n<\/div> Decks and pergolas<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Extensions and alterations<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> New vanities and showers<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Updated tapware and sinks<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Refaced cabinetry<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> New doors and windows<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li> Tweaks to layout (NZ\u2019s fav: removing a load-bearing wall).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul> Another trend was phased, DIY-style project management. If homeowners were taking on a bigger project, homeowners spaced out their renos in stages to spread out costs, line up subtrades and avoid blowing the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> You can get meaningful improvements done on a budget by identifying the highest use areas where functionality impacts daily life the most. One or two well-chosen upgrades can completely shift how your home looks and feels.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>1. Fixing stuff came first<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Trend takeaway<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>2. Light renos over full makeovers<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Trend takeaway<\/h2><\/div>
![\"Before\"](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Family-bathroom-1200x8007-1.jpg\")
![\"After\"](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Family-bathroom-1200x8004-2.jpg\")
![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/shutterstock_735788689-scaled.jpg\" "\\"Roofer,Install,And,Repair,Gutter,System.,Rain,Gutter,Installation,With\\"")
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