Does improving the home boost the construction sector?
As a nation, we love to redecorate — that’s according to research claiming that the average Brit redecorates their home about 36 times in their lifetime with each project typically taking 18 days to finish. Data from the Office for National Statistics has also predicted that those in the UK collectively spend almost £30 billion on home improvements annually. That works out at £43 million each week!
Surely, these figures prove that traders in the construction industry must be making a decent profit? Perhaps not. With the rise of DIY tasks, some Brits are choosing to take on the projects themselves and avoid hiring professionals. Because of this, home improvement projects might actually be stunting the growth of the construction industry. We explore the effect of home improvements and their impact on industry here…
How harmful is DIY?
Many of us opt to do it ourselves, rather than call in assistance when it comes to home improvements. Apparently, the average person spends around £1,085 on DIY improvements. Furthermore, 15% of Brits attempt all DIY tasks themselves, while DIY stores have seen an increase of around 42% in sales for DIY products. This could be down to the fact that less than one in ten homeowners currently consider their home to be perfect, with 55% saying they have a long to-do list of improvements and changes they would like to get done.
What’s more, both men and women like to get involved in DIY — blowing apart the stereotype. According to The Telegraph, 70% of women said they are happy to do DIY around the house and 77% said they would happily strip a room of wallpaper without asking for any help. Furthermore, in a B&Q survey, three-quarters of women believe themselves to be just as competent at basic DIY skills as any man — and of the 60% of women who are currently in a relationship, 35% say that they do more home improvements around the house than their partners.
What are people eager to try doing around the house when it comes to improvements? Reportedly, installing a new kitchen and/or bathroom, laying new carpet, painting walls, and building an extension — most of which will require an experienced home owner to achieve by themselves. The most easily achieved DIY tasks are: painting and wallpapering, buying new furniture, and laying decking or a patio in the garden.
Trust the professionals
So, is there any benefit to hiring a professional to do the job if you are capable of accomplishing it alone? Perhaps. 82% of Brits apparently put off doing essential DIY jobs for an average of 26 days and 10% will delay DIY tasks for more than three months — can you wait that long? Many home owners believe that a lack of time is stopping them from getting everything done in their homes. In fact, three quarters worry that they are never going to get their homes to a point where they are completely happy with them because of a lack of time, money and know-how.
Even though time appears to be of the essence, only 16% of people always hire a professional to carry out home improvements. Decorating appears to be one of the most common jobs that people hire a professional for; more than a fifth call in a professional to put wallpaper up, while another 15% get decorators in instead of undertaking a paint-job themselves.
But DIY can’t cover everything. If your home needs important work carried out, the construction industry features builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, decorators, architects, surveyors, and engineers that are qualified to do it well and safely. 23% of home owners believe their home requires mainly major work to make their home perfect, suggesting that a professional is needed — and figures agree, with 28% saying a professional is needed to do the work that they want to do.
Evidently, DIY has its limitations and reports seem to support that theory. Some studies have revealed that DIY is actually on the decline — good news for the construction industry. And this could be down to a change in attitudes throughout generations. Over 50s seem to have no problem with trying DIY work in the home to save money and achieve something themselves. However, only 1% of the younger generation (25-35-year-olds) would try and do the work themselves, meaning 99% of them would rather hire a professional.
This article was researched and created by Niftylift, an aerial work platform supplier based in the UK.
