ACE Wonders Why Americans DIY?

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Monday, May 2, 2005 - Saving Money, Improving Home, Pride Top Reasons for Tackling Home Projects

Why do Americans flock to hardware stores and home centers, spend weekends painting, planting and plumbing and get hooked on home improvement TV shows?

A new national survey reveals a unique blend of practicality and pride is the major motivator that propels such involvement and drives millions to tackle do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement tasks and projects.

A whopping nine of out 10 Americans said they DIY to save money, 89 percent to add desirable features, 83 percent to enhance their home’s value and 77 percent to protect their homes, according to the “Why Americans DIY” Study of 1,000 American homeowners commissioned by Ace Hardware.

The nearly same high level of numbers cited a feeling of pride (80 percent), a sense of accomplishment (79 percent) and self-fulfillment (70 percent) as reasons for wielding hammers, brushes and shears.

Yet, money does not always “talk” for these weekend DIY warriors. A remarkable 68 percent stated they would perform projects even if they didn’t save money.

“When folks tackle home projects and can gain benefits that encompass both economics and personal satisfaction, it’s no wonder why we have cable networks like HGTV and DIY today, and that sales of hardware products grew at a compound annual rate of 7 percent from 1998 to 2003,” says national home improvement expert, author Lou Manfredini, also Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.”

Further compelling evidence of the DIY phenomenon is portrayed with this research finding: Americans today have an average of eight projects on their to-do lists, an increase from five, or up 60 percent, when Ace posed the same question in a national study in 2002. Projects that top these lists most frequently involve painting, lawn and garden, and remodeling work.

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