Let’s be honest, there’s probably a room in most homes that we’d change if we had the time, money, and a magic wand.
Maybe you need more space for the kids. Perhaps the kitchen has seen better days, you’re desperate for a bigger garden room, or you’ve started wondering whether that extension you’ve talked about for the last five years might actually happen.
If any of that sounds familiar, there’s an event coming to Harrogate that could be well worth a visit.
The Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show takes place at Harrogate Convention Centre from 30 October to 1 November 2026, and we have 50 pairs of free tickets available for Mummy of 3 Diaries readers.
You can simply claim your tickets using our exclusive link.
No competition to enter and no waiting to see whether you’ve been lucky. Just claim your tickets and start planning your day.
A home project can quickly become a very big project
We’ve all been there.
You start with “It would be nice to change the kitchen” and before you know it you’re looking at new flooring, windows, lighting, heating, knocking down walls and wondering where all your money went.
The latest research from the show highlights just how much homeowners are investing in their properties. Three out of four visitors to the Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show already have a substantial project underway, with average project budgets reaching around £149,000.
For those planning major work, the estimated spending includes around £64,000 for renovations and £116,000 for extensions, while people building a home from scratch are looking at budgets of around £379,000.
That’s a lot of money to get wrong.
And that’s where having access to people who actually know what they’re talking about can be incredibly useful.
Get ideas for making your home work harder
The show isn’t just aimed at people building enormous dream homes from scratch.
It’s designed for anyone with a home project, whether you’re renovating, extending, remodelling, improving your home’s energy efficiency or simply looking for inspiration. The event brings together hundreds of brands and thousands of products, covering everything from kitchens and bathrooms to heating, windows, doors, lighting and green energy.
For families in particular, that could mean finding ideas for making the most of the space you’ve already got.
An extension could give you the extra family room you’ve always wanted. A kitchen redesign might make busy mornings a little less chaotic. Better insulation could make the house warmer while helping to reduce energy bills.
Sometimes the biggest difference isn’t having a bigger house, it’s making your existing home work better for your family.
There is plenty to learn too
One of the things I like about this show is that you don’t have to spend your day simply wandering around stands collecting brochures.
There are talks and masterclasses throughout the three days, covering a huge range of subjects.
You can learn about extension design, planning permission, self-building, kitchens, heating, insulation, energy efficiency, finance and much more.
There are even sessions aimed at people who are completely new to self-building, so you don’t need to arrive knowing the difference between an air source heat pump and whatever the thing in your airing cupboard is supposed to be.
And if you’re considering an extension, there are dedicated sessions looking at how to add space and value to your home while avoiding some of the common mistakes.
Take your own questions along
Perhaps the most useful part of the show is the opportunity to get advice about your own project.
The Advice Centre offers free one-to-one consultations with experts, where you can ask questions about things such as planning, design, budgets and the problems you’ve encountered.
The consultations last 15 minutes and are available to book at the show. The organisers recommend arriving early because they can be popular.
So if you’ve been staring at a set of plans wondering whether your big idea is actually possible, this could be a good opportunity to get some expert input.
Thinking about making your home more energy efficient?
Energy efficiency is another big part of this year’s event, which is particularly relevant with the Future Homes Standard coming into effect in March 2027.
There will be sessions looking at heating, insulation, heat pumps, solar power and ways to make homes warmer and more efficient.
For anyone planning a renovation, it’s worth thinking about these things before the work begins rather than deciding later that you should have insulated that wall while it was open.
Did I mention… we’ve got free tickets!
If you’re thinking about making changes to your home, this is one of those events where you could easily spend a few hours gathering ideas, asking questions and discovering things you hadn’t even considered.
And we’ve made it a little easier for you to go. We have 50 pairs of free tickets available for Mummy of 3 Diaries readers to attend the Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show at Harrogate Convention Centre.
The show takes place:
Friday 30 October 2026: 10am–5pm
Saturday 31 October 2026: 10am–5pm
Sunday 1 November 2026: 10am–4.30pm
Tickets are normally available for purchase, but our readers can use the link above to claim their free pair.
So, whether you’ve got grand plans for an extension, a kitchen that’s crying out for attention, a renovation that’s been on the back burner for years, or you’re simply looking for ways to make family life work a little better at home, it could be worth taking a look.
And who knows – you might come home with some brilliant ideas.
Or a very long wish list.
Possibly both!
*This is a collaborative post
