If you are a furniture retailer, interior designer, kitchen fitter, or any other home improvement professional, getting found online is essential. Business directories remain one of the most effective channels for generating leads and building credibility. But with so many options available, how do you decide which directory is worth your time and money?
This guide compares the major UK directories serving the furniture, interiors, and home improvement sectors, breaking down their costs, models, and strengths to help you make an informed decision.
The Major Players
Checkatrade
Model: Monthly subscription + joining fee Cost: From £30 + VAT per month, plus a one-off joining fee (typically £100-£250 depending on category) Reach: 50,000+ listed businesses facilitating an estimated £7 billion of annual work
Checkatrade is the UK's largest trade directory. Its strength lies in brand recognition — years of TV advertising and van stickers have made it a household name. The platform includes customer reviews, identity verification, and optional background checks.
Pros: Massive consumer awareness; trusted brand; review system Cons: Highly competitive within common trades; monthly cost regardless of leads received; less relevant for specialist furniture and design businesses; the sheer volume of listings can make it hard to stand out
Bark
Model: Pay-per-lead (credit system) Cost: Average of ~£14.40 per lead credit, with credits purchased in bundles Reach: Operates across hundreds of categories in the UK
Bark uses a credit-based model where professionals purchase bundles of credits and spend them to respond to customer enquiries. You only pay when you choose to pursue a lead, which offers flexibility. However, multiple professionals can respond to the same lead, so conversion rates vary.
Pros: No monthly subscription; you choose which leads to pursue; broad category coverage Cons: Leads are shared with multiple competitors; costs can escalate quickly for popular categories; quality of leads varies; no ongoing profile visibility — you are essentially buying introductions
Houzz
Model: Freemium (basic listing free; Houzz Pro subscription for premium features) Cost: Houzz Pro starts from approximately £50-£100/month Reach: Strong in the design and renovation space with a visually-driven platform
Houzz is the most design-focused directory, combining a professional listing with a social-media-style platform where homeowners browse project photos for inspiration. Houzz Pro, its paid tier, now includes AutoMate AI tools for automated lead responses, project management, and 3D design rendering.
Pros: Visually driven — ideal for designers, architects, and bespoke furniture makers; integrated design tools; affluent, design-conscious audience Cons: Less effective for general trades; Houzz Pro cost is significant for smaller businesses; the platform can feel US-centric in its design language and categories
MyBuilder
Model: Pay-per-quote Cost: Varies by job value — typically £2-£20 per quote Reach: Owned by Angi Inc (formerly Angie's List), focused on UK trades
MyBuilder connects homeowners with tradespeople through a job-posting system. Tradespeople pay to quote on relevant jobs. The platform is well-established for general building work, plumbing, and electrical trades.
Pros: Pay only when you quote; strong in general trades; homeowner reviews add credibility Cons: Less suited to specialist furniture and design businesses; competitive bidding can drive down prices; limited profile customisation
Rated People
Model: Pay-per-lead Cost: Lead credits from approximately £5-£20 depending on category Reach: Established UK trades platform
Rated People operates similarly to Bark, with tradespeople buying credits to access homeowner enquiries. It has a solid review system and is well-known among general trades.
Pros: Established brand; review system; flexible credit model Cons: Shared leads; less relevant for niche furniture and design categories; variable lead quality
TrustATrader
Model: Annual subscription Cost: From approximately £40-£80/month depending on category and region Reach: Regional focus with strong local SEO
TrustATrader focuses on verified, trusted tradespeople and emphasises local search visibility. All members are vetted, and the platform invests in local SEO to ensure listings rank well in Google searches.
Pros: Strong local SEO; vetting adds credibility; less competition than Checkatrade Cons: Higher cost than some alternatives; primarily focused on general trades rather than furniture and design specialists
Where HouseJester Fits In
HouseJester takes a fundamentally different approach to the directories listed above. Rather than trying to cover every trade from plumbing to pest control, HouseJester focuses exclusively on the furniture, interior design, and home furnishings sector.
Key Differences
| Feature | General Directories | HouseJester |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | All trades and services | Furniture, interiors, and design only |
| Audience | Homeowners seeking any trade | Homeowners specifically looking for furniture and design professionals |
| Competition | Thousands of listings per category | Curated, niche listings with less noise |
| Categories | Generic (e.g., "Kitchen Fitter") | Specialist (e.g., Fitted Kitchens, Bespoke Furniture, Interior Designers, Upholstery) |
| Listing Tiers | Typically one paid tier | Free, Silver (£29/year), and Gold (£59/year) |
| Content | Minimal category context | In-depth guides, FAQs, and trend articles for each category |
Why Niche Matters
General directories cast a wide net, but for furniture and interior design businesses, that width is often a disadvantage. Your listing sits alongside hundreds or thousands of generalist competitors, and homeowners searching for a specific type of specialist may struggle to find exactly what they need.
HouseJester's 21 specialist categories — from fitted kitchens and bathrooms to curtains and blinds, upholstery, and garden furniture — mean that every visitor to the site is specifically looking for what you offer. This focused traffic tends to convert better than broad-spectrum directory traffic.
Cost Comparison
At £29/year for a Silver listing or £59/year for a Gold listing, HouseJester is a fraction of the cost of most alternatives. There are no per-lead charges, no credit systems, and no escalating monthly fees. A free tier is also available for businesses that want a basic text listing.
| Directory | Annual Cost (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Checkatrade | £360-£960+ |
| Bark | Variable (£500-£2,000+ depending on leads) |
| Houzz Pro | £600-£1,200+ |
| MyBuilder | Variable (£200-£1,000+ depending on quotes) |
| TrustATrader | £480-£960+ |
| HouseJester Silver | £29 |
| HouseJester Gold | £59 |
How to Decide
The right directory depends on your business type, budget, and goals:
- General tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, builders) will find the most volume on Checkatrade, MyBuilder, or Rated People.
- Design-focused businesses (interior designers, architects, bespoke furniture makers) should consider Houzz for its visual platform and affluent audience.
- Furniture and interiors specialists — fitted kitchen companies, bathroom showrooms, flooring retailers, upholstery workshops, curtain and blind suppliers — will benefit most from a niche directory like HouseJester where competition is lower and the audience is precisely targeted.
Many businesses list on multiple directories. A presence on one general directory for volume, combined with a specialist listing on HouseJester for targeted, high-quality enquiries, is a strategy that balances reach with relevance.
Getting Started
If you are a furniture or interior design business looking to grow your online presence, submit your listing on HouseJester today. Choose from free, Silver, or Gold tiers depending on how much visibility you need. Every listing includes customer reviews, and Gold listings include priority placement, logo display, and product images.
For homeowners, browsing HouseJester's categories is the simplest way to find specialist furniture and design professionals near you, with verified reviews and detailed company profiles.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the HouseJester editorial team for accuracy and relevance.