The market has experienced growth since 2015 benefiting from improving consumer confidence and spending as well as factors such as an improving housing market, increased levels of homeworking, trend for secondary residential garden buildings and growing popularity in ‘outdoor living’ & spending time in the garden.
Other factors that impact on the market include the weather, ‘grow your own’ activities, and product development. There has been an increase in the use of garden buildings for a wide range of leisure activities as well as a trend for upgrading specification and increased customisation of buildings.
The different sub-sectors vary in their maturity, with the sheds and greenhouse sector representing mature sectors compared to other less mature sectors such as garden rooms. The high household penetration of sheds and greenhouse means these sectors are more dependent on upgrading and replacement products. Whereas the lower penetration of other sectors such as garden rooms allows for higher levels of growth.
Prospects for the garden buildings and structures market into the medium-term remain relatively optimistic. The range of factors influencing the market include wider macro-issues such as the UK economy, consumer confidence & spending and housebuilding & house moving levels as well as more product specific issues, such as design trends, product specifications and product developments.
Assuming the impacts of Covid-19 are time-limited, household income growth should resume from 2021 and the garden buildings and structures market is forecast to recover, assisted by improving housebuilding levels and the trend for using buildings for leisure activities, homeworking and accommodation purposes.