‘Unprecedented demand’ for new kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms Brits who are planning to revamp their properties are facing long delays due to an industry-wide labour shortage. The pandemic lockdowns sparked an increase in home improvement projects but a combination of Brexit worker shortfall and demand has seen lead times for new kitchens, bathrooms or wardrobes “spiral” from a pre-Covid norm of four to eight weeks to 12-18 weeks, The Guardian reports. There has been an “unprecedented demand for kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, and home improvement in general”, said Damian Walters, chief executive of the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI).