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How Is DIY Being Affected by COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it absolutely necessary that we remain socially distanced and limit our interactions with others. But what do you do when something goes completely haywire at home? What about when you have a leaky faucet? What about when you need a new deck installed?

Thanks to families spending more and more time in the home and venturing away from rental properties, it’s often up to homeowners and their own DIY skills to make projects happen. However, these DIY projects are revealing interesting trends about not just what kinds of projects we are willing to take on ourselves when we’ve got the extra time, but also what lies ahead for the future of the DIY industry. 

Why DIY Is On The Rise 

The answer to this seems fairly obvious but is actually more complex than you would think. Research by the Home Improvement Research Institute indicates the biggest two reasons that homeowners have decided to take on the task of completing projects themselves is due to the fact they are at home more often and have more time to spare. 

On one hand, this means that being home allows  you to notice things wrong with your home you may have overlooked in the waking hours you spend within before or after your busy workday. That leaky faucet in the kitchen may not have been as big of a deal when you didn’t spend everyday just a few feet away from it, working at your dining room table. 

However, depending on the time of the year they were surveyed, between 10-20% of research respondents indicated they didn’t want someone in their home to complete the project for them if they could just do it themselves. 

In Store Versus Online Purchasing 

Despite the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, research has revealed that, overwhelmingly, taking an in-person trip to the hardware store is crucial to acquiring home improvement products. However, there have been fluctuating trends indicating that ordering online and having items shipped or picking items up curbside were increasingly popular ways to obtain the materials respondents needed for projects while remaining safe and socially distanced

Interestingly, just under 10% of respondents indicated they didn’t need to make purchases in the months they were surveyed. This may mean that these respondents were able to get around to projects that they already had materials on hand for but never had a chance to begin. 

This could also mean that these respondents were long-time DIY connoisseurs who never needed to buy new pieces of machinery or tools to get a project going. If you’re a first time DIY champion, you’ll likely need some basic materials that can be used over and over again for different projects. If you’re just looking to do a few projects, though, the cost may add up. 

What Kinds Of Projects Are DIYers Doing? 

Unsurprisingly, there was a strong dip in the amount of work being done on landscaping and lawn maintenance between September 2020 and January 2021 due to the changing weather. Projects largely included, but were not limited to, painting rooms, lawn care, and overall home maintenance. 

However, over half of all survey respondents indicated that their recent projects were the same size, if not larger than, projects they did before the COVID-19 crisis. 

One survey of 1,000 consumers conducted by Wells Fargo analysts revealed that 88% of respondents planned on spending more in the last half of 2020 on big ticket items like appliances and electronics for home use. Of course, these all fall under the category of home improvement. 

In short, families are completing projects that may have been pushed to the side for quite a long time now that there is time to do it and more reason to do it with the majority of the family being in the home far more than ever before. 

Being Prepared For Your Next Project

Before taking on any DIY project, being prepared is absolutely crucial. The small number of survey respondents that indicated they didn’t have to purchase anything for their projects indicates that consumers typically didn’t have the materials on hand to do the DIY projects they wanted to do ahead of time, and still needed to source their parts during the pandemic.. 

One solution is to buy products at the hardware store. While costly, it allows consumers the ability to use products over and over again. For the 14% of consumers who planned to move because of COVID-19, they may need those products again when moving. 

However, buying tools and machinery can be costly. One simple project can cost far more than you anticipate if you have to purchase every part needed for it to be completed. That’s why one solution many DIYers are opting for is equipment rentals. 

Elephant Construction Solutions offers homeowners, contractors, and construction firms alike the ability to rent equipment for any project. Whether you need to rent a lawn mower for basic lawn care, an air compressor for your next big project, or even nail guns or power generators, Elephant Construction Solutions has everything you need. 

Reach out to us here today for your free quote and get all the  equipment you need to get your home DIY projects completed quickly and within your budget. 

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