The majority of adults in Ireland attempted DIY tasks normally outsourced to professionals during Covid-19 lockdowns, according to a new survey.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 59 per cent of people said that they were forced to undertake DIY tasks and projects at home due to the lack of lockdown access to professional tradespeople.
Some 16 per cent of those surveyed said that their home renovation attempts were unsuccessful, with their DIY likely requiring a professional to come and fix it eventually.
The survey of over 1,000 adults, conducted by Empathy Research on behalf of DIY and homeware group Homevalue, also found that 60 per cent of Irish adults said they were saving money specifically for home renovations as a result of working from home during the pandemic.
One third of all lockdown DIYers said they had turned to the internet for inspiration and instructions on how to do basic tasks, using Google or YouTube tutorials online.
Covid fears
More than half of Irish people – 54 per cent – said they were nervous about letting people into their homes for building works due to fear of contracting the virus.
However, one in five people said they believe the standard of their home has suffered as a result of lockdowns and not being able to undertake upgrade works.
A total 73 per cent said they have noticed more upgrade and maintenance work that needs to be done around the house due to spending more time at home.
While 80 per cent of women said that they noticed jobs that need to be completed, a lower 66 per cent of men said they noticed work to be done.
We expect the DIY phenomenon to remain long after the pandemic
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Paul Candon, chief executive of United Hardware who trade under Homevalue, said: “With much of the population having adjusted to remote working, there has been a significant shift in the needs and requirements of our homes, as evidenced by so many people building up savings over the last year to spend on household upgrades.
“This dynamic has been made all the more difficult as a result of tradespeople not being as accessible as in the past due to successive lockdowns and pent-up demand, meaning many people have taken to DIY as a stop gap.
“We expect the DIY phenomenon to remain long after the pandemic as Irish people have discovered a newfound love for home improvement projects with online tutorials proving a key enabler.
“From our perspective in Homevalue, this has attracted a new cohort of customers, resulting in record sales of items such as hand and power tools, particularly over the Christmas period where surprisingly many people chose tools and hardware as presents instead of more traditional gifts.”
