As our homes become ever-more futuristic and complex, so will the repairs and maintenance needed to keep them running smoothly and with consumer need for a tradesperson around the house already evolving, what could the future hold?
The trade sector can be a tough one with an estimated 2.5m workers all vying for your home improvement and servicing needs.
Tradespeople comparison site, HaMuch.com, has looked at some of the DIY jobs of the future that could soon become the norm for a tradesperson call out.
Smart vehicle maintenance
Electric cars are becoming more commonplace and while we are yet to see a futuristic style hovercar, this latest wave of auto tech requires additional maintenance to the traditional car. While the car itself still needs mechanic maintenance there is also the matter of the charing and programming points. While these are largely found in public areas, it’s thought they will soon be fitted in every home and will require someone to keep them in tip-top shape when they are.
Heat absorbent plaster and odour absorbing paint
Paint and plaster is a purely aesthetic job for the tradesperson of today but this might not be the case in the future. Heat absorbent plaster will hold heat to distribute during the colder nights thus saving on energy bills, while odour absorbing paint will be used in kitchens, toilets and utility rooms to keep bad smells at bay and reduce the use of aerosol-based sprays. Having a trained tradesperson to apply these properly will be vital for success.
Self-cleaning surfaces
While we wouldn’t get a tradesperson round to clean our kitchen surfaces today, they may be required to service the self-cleaning surfaces, floors and windows of the house of the future.
Intelligent homes and smart appliances
At the moment we have Alexa but soon our homes could be run by integrated smart technology that does everything from cooking the dinner to locking the doors for us. If we are going to place such trust in this automated integrated way of life, it’s vital that our home assistant is actually cooking the dinner and locking the doors to avoid food poisoning or encouraging a break-in. This presents a major DIY job of the future for those that keep on top of this tech and are trained to maintain it.
Sustainable energy
With sustainability already a hot topic, the home of the future will no doubt focus more on sustainable energy including everything from mini wind turbines to solar panels and geothermal heat pumps. It is also thought there will be energy harvesting floors that when walked on can generate their own energy. However, all of these will require installation, maintenance and servicing to keep them in good order providing an opportunity for the tradesperson of the future.
Automated robots
These are already starting to enter the household through the development of pre-programmed hoovers but with technology advancing every day, we could soon see self-sufficient robots become more commonplace and carrying out all sorts of jobs from cleaning to cooking to walking the dog. While they may also take over some of the more basic tradesperson jobs they will still need a qualified professional to keep them in top shape.
Facial recognition and home security
There are already a wide array of fancy additional security measures above and beyond the lock and key. Smart doorbells are one such advancement that are becoming more commonplace in the average home as well as CCTV, where once only the rich could afford them. It’s thought these will advance further to take over the function of the simple door key and only allow verified people to enter your home via facial recognition software. However, should they go wrong, you will still need to call out a professional locksmith to remedy the issue, but rather than changing a lock they will be rebooting your facial recognition tech.
The 3D printer
3D printers are quickly becoming a go-to piece of technology and their ability to print almost any design is remarkable. The home of the future could well see one come as standard and rather than call out a tradesperson to complete a job, you could simply print the tools or any other household item yourself and get going. But again, they will need a professional to keep them in working order and this would be yet another job for the tradesperson of the future.
Tarquin Purdie, Founder and CEO of HaMuch.com, commented: “The way we live is changing and while today’s trade callouts focus on hands-on jobs for trained professionals, this might not be the case in years to come. With technology doing more and more of the heavy lifting and products and appliances lasting for longer, we could see the tradesperson jobs of today vanish as more integration and greater advancements in household technology take over.
However, change always presents an opportunity and while the house of the future may not need a painter, plumber or heating engineer, it will most certainly need trained professionals to ensure these latest advancements in technology are working as they should be.”
