3 out of 4 Americans Built Up Their Home Improvement Skills in 2020, CRAFTSMAN® Built@Home Survey Finds
December 4, 2020 /3BL Media/ - A new survey from CRAFTSMAN, a Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. brand, found that more than 3 in 4 Americans (78%) have honed their home improvement skills during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CRAFTSMAN Built@Home Survey examined how Americans’ home renovation interests and skills have evolved over the past six months, the tools and resources they leveraged to tackle various projects, and their plans for continued home improvement in 2021.
“As the global pandemic took hold in the U.S. this spring, we saw more of our CRAFTSMAN customers purchasing products to help create new and renovate existing spaces to better serve their needs and improve the functionality of their homes,” said Jaime Ramirez, Executive Vice President & President of Global Tools & Storage for Stanley Black & Decker. “We wanted to gain a better understanding of which projects consumers were undertaking and how we could better serve them during this time. CRAFTSMAN is committed to helping our employees and customers navigate through this challenging period, doing our part to help strengthen our connection to our homes and communities. As part of these efforts, we are providing a donation to Rebuilding Together and Feeding America to support those impacted by COVID-19.”
The pandemic has been a moment of reflection for many Americans, with 6 in 10 indicating they wished they had more skills or know-how to accomplish home improvement projects. The survey found that more than half (51%) have learned new home renovation skills this year, 44% of women compared to 58% of men. In addition, more than half of Americans (53%) have either completed, or expect to complete, their 2020 home improvement checklist by the end of the year.
Top Home Improvement Projects In 2020
The CRAFTSMAN Built@Home survey found that people spent their time working on a variety of home renovation projects during the pandemic, with more than three-quarters of Americans (76%) saying they or someone in their household worked on at least one home improvement project in 2020.
The most common indoor renovations included painting a room (28%), creating a home office (13%) and remodeling the kitchen (10%). For outdoor projects, about a third of men (32%) have completed a garden overhaul since the onset of the COVID-19, while 1 in 5 women (22%) have done the same.
To complete their projects, many Americans learned to use power tools for the first time. Respondents said they learned to use power tools such as a drill (21%), sander (15%) and table saw (13%) during the pandemic.
CRAFTSMAN is encouraging Americans to share their home renovation projects with the hashtag #BuiltAtHome.
Feeling Accomplished and Gaining Quality Time
Over 9 in 10 Americans who say they have learned new home improvement skills report that learning these new skills makes them feel accomplished. Of those who say they have tackled or may tackle a home improvement project during 2020, 29% say that home renovation activities are a way to spend quality time with others in the household. Of those Americans who say they have worked on at least one indoor or outdoor home improvement project in 2020, more than half (52%) say they worked on the project(s) with a spouse or partner, 29% say they did so with their children, and 22% say a friend helped them complete their project(s).
Brushing Up on Skills, Americans Go Online
When it comes to learning home renovation skills during the pandemic, Americans are primarily turning to websites (51%) and social media (33%), with YouTube (73%), Facebook (47%) and Instagram (36%) ranked as the top sources. Men say they use Twitter far more (32%) than women (8%), while nearly half of women (47%) opt for Pinterest to learn about home renovation.
Trend Likely to Continue Into 2021
More than 6 in 10 Americans (62%) feel their experiences during the pandemic mean they will likely tackle more home renovation projects long-term. As a result, many households are creating 2021 to-do lists. In addition to painting interior rooms (23%), a sizeable number of people plan to install an outdoor patio, deck or entertainment space (19%), install flooring (15%), remodel a bathroom (15%) or renovate a kitchen (15%). The survey data suggests people are shifting from immediate-need or functional projects in 2020 to more advanced home updates in 2021.
To complete their projects, more than a quarter of Americans (27%) plan to spend $1,000 or more. Additionally, the survey found that there is a growing desire to use new tools. By the end of 2021, Americans hope to learn how to use a drill (16%), table saw (15%), circular saw (14%) and nailer (14%).
Strengthening American Homes
CRAFTSMAN is making donations to Rebuilding Together and Feeding America to help strengthen American homes impacted by COVID-19. The company will donate $250,000 to Rebuilding Together to provide critical home repairs to individuals in need and help revitalize communities throughout the country. In addition, the company will donate $250,000 to Feeding America, one of the largest hunger-relief organizations in the United States.
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Methodology
CRAFTSMAN commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,005 American adults. The makeup of the sample is statistically representative of the U.S. population based on the national census’ gender, age and regional data. The margin of error for the overall sample (N=1,005) fell within +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence interval of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between Nov. 10-11, 2020.
