How homeowners are using extra time inside to improve their houses

By Zoya Gervis // SWNS

NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC

Millennials are getting handier around the home since lockdown measures began, according to new research.  

In fact, a poll of 2,000 homeowners found that compared to other generations, millennials have been the busiest, with 81% having tackled a home improvement project since March. 

The study conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Bernzomatic®, a manufacturer of handheld blow torches, examined the various home improvement projects American homeowners completed while stay-at-home orders have been in effect, and why they’ve taken them on. 

For 65 percent of those polled, a project was done to save money while 49 percent simply needed something to keep themselves busy while being in lockdown.

Overall, the average homeowner has already attempted four different home improvement projects since March — guesstimating a savings of over $160 just by trying a project themselves. 

All this, without the help of an outside contractor (47% opted not to), taking these homeowners from DIY-ers to “figure it out yourself-ers.”

From painting in the house (32%) and working on landscaping projects outside (29%) to re-caulking (27%) and re-tiling kitchens and bathrooms (24%), homeowners have kept themselves busy these past six months.

And keeping busy may have just led to new hobbies. Seventy-three percent of those who tackled a home improvement project on their own revealed that afterward they felt resilient enough to keep taking on more projects and 67 percent of homeowners look forward to tackling more projects in the future. 

“There is nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment after your first successful DIY project to make you want pick up the toolbox and search for the next,” said Janna Stanford, senior marketing manager at Bernzomatic, a brand of Worthington Industries Retail Products division. These past few months have inspired people to finish that project that may have been sitting on the to-do list. From backyard patio renovation to removing caked on caulking, paint or rust, a torch is the tool that can be used in endless ways for projects around the house.” 

And there’s more to be done, as 71% of homeowners still say their home is a ‘work in progress’. 

It’s no wonder that half of the homeowners surveyed (50 percent) plan on doing a DIY home improvement project before the end of this year. 

Twenty-nine percent plan to work on landscaping projects outside, while 57% plan on taking on projects ahead of the holiday season. 

Holiday-prep projects include bathroom and kitchen renovation, filling driveway cracks, fixing the patio landscape, and replacing countertops and kitchen floors. 

Having the right tools to get these projects done is paramount to success. But with more than half (58%) of American homeowners attempting a home improvement project only to realize they did not have the proper tools to accomplish the task successfully, it may be time for a toolbox upgrade. 

“Never underestimate the power of a torch to get the job done,” said Anika Gandhi, a DIY lifestyle blogger at Anika’s DIY Life. “It is the one tool that I can use in dozens of ways to keep my house in tip top shape and this holiday I look forward to using a torch on wood to create unique, decorative pieces that’ll liven up my space for entertaining guests.” 

 HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AMERICANS TACKLED DURING COVID-19

1. Painting in the house 32%
2. Working on landscaping project outside 29%
3. Re-caulking 27%
4. Re-tiling kitchen or bathroom 24%
5. Plumbing 23%

10 HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AMERICANS LOOK FORWARD TO CREATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

1. New lighting system
2. Bathroom renovation
3. Kitchen renovation
4. Fill a driveway crack
5. Create handmade gifts
6. Improving patio landscape
7. Complete woodworking projects
8. Replacing flooring
9. Replace the windows
10. Replacing countertops