Top 5 DIY Home Improvement Projects During COVID-19

Top 5 DIY home improvement projects during COVID-19. In 2020, these are the five most popular DIY home improvement projects homeowners took on during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ninety percent of homeowners have tried their hand at DIY home improvement projects since the onset of COVID-19 in the U.S. in 2020, and 64 percent of them were highly satisfied with the work they completed, according to a survey by CouponFollow.

In another survey by Sears Home Services, 60 percent of homeowners admitted to being bold and willing to try more advanced projects than they might have considered in the past, with the average homeowner taking on two to three projects this year. Those homeowners weren’t as lucky, with 46 percent of them confessing they needed a professional to redo a DIY project, costing them over $1,600 on average.

Homeowners who had the most success with their DIY home improvement projects kept it simple, picking projects that were inexpensive (under $1,000) and projects that they could easily complete without the help of a professional.

Top 5 DIY Home Improvement Projects During COVID-19

These are the top 5 most successful DIY home improvement projects that homeowners completed during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Building/Installing Shelving and Cabinetry
62 percent of homeowners were very satisfied with this DIY project
Homeowners spent an average of $767 on this DIY project
2. Interior House Painting
57 percent of homeowners were very satisfied with this DIY project
Homeowners spent an average of $289 on this DIY project
3. Installing/Enhancing a Garden
57 percent of homeowners were very satisfied with this DIY project
Homeowners spent an average of $174 on this DIY project
4. Bathroom Decor
55 percent of homeowners were very satisfied with this DIY project
Homeowners spent an average of $265 on this DIY project
5. Bedroom Decor
53 percent of homeowners were very satisfied with this DIY project
Homeowners spent an average of $221 on this DIY project

DIY Gone Wrong: When Home Improvement Projects Fail

The primary difference between the most successful and least successful DIY home improvement projects was their complexity. The least successful DIY projects (refurbishing furniture, exterior house painting, kitchen repair, bedroom repair and deck and patio decor) likely failed because they required more technical skill than homeowners can gleam from online tutorials.

According to Sears Home Services, 27 percent of homeowners have done major damage to their homes while performing a DIY home improvement project. The issues homeowners most frequently run into when working on a DIY project include:

57 percent of homeowners underestimate the time needed to complete the project
50 percent underestimate the effort needed to complete the project
40 percent misjudge the cost of the project
37 percent lack the right tools or equipment to complete the project
37 percent underestimate the skill needed to complete the project
20 percent need to redo the project multiple times

Homeowners should do their research before taking on any DIY home improvement projects so they have a good understanding of how much the project costs, how much time it could take and how much work it requires. If you want to know how to paint a room (or prep a room for painting or tape before painting), change a light fixture or fan, or polish brass hardware), check out Ilyce Glink’s ExpertRealEstateTips channel on YouTube.

But if it all seems like too much DIY, reach out to a certified home professional to get a quote because what’s most important is that the job gets done right the first time.