Home improvement projects: improving the construction sector?

According to statistics, the average Brit redecorates their home around 36 times in their lifetime; that’s a lot of change-ups! Each project takes around 18 days to finish too, and the Office for National Statistics states that the UK spends almost £30 billion a year on home improvement projects. That must be a huge boost to the construction industry, right?

Well, maybe not as much as you might think. Brits are very keen on ‘do-it-yourself’, which may well be having a negative effect on the construction sector. To look into the matter further, we’re joined by access platforms suppler, NiftyLift.

If you want a job doing, do it yourself

DIY supplies cost the average Brit £1,085. Furthermore, 15% of Brits attempt all DIY tasks themselves, whilst 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 home owners 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.

It’s not just men taking up the stereotypical helm of home DIYer. The Telegraph reported a rise in the female DIYer. 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.

The list of top projects homeowners are keen to complete are:

Installing a new kitchen
Installing a new bathroom
Laying new carpet
Painting walls
Building an extension

The most easily achieved DIY tasks are actually among the most outstanding jobs in the British home:painting and wallpapering, buying new furniture, and laying decking or a patio in the garden.

If you want a job doing well…

Despite our initial enthusiasm for DIY tasks, 82% of Brits put off doing essential DIY tasks for around 26 days. 10% will delay DIY tasks for more than three months — can you afford to 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.

While acknowledging the need for industry know-how, only 16% of people actually hire a professional to do their 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.

The construction sector is home to many professional, skilled workers, from builders to architects, to electricians and plumbers. 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. Maybe DIY has its limitations?

Some reports have revealed a slow acceptance of this. 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 problems 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.