Millennials and Gen Z lead the way for DIY projects during lockdown

Nearly two in five people have tried their hand at home improvements during the coronavirus lockdown, a survey has found.

Some 38% of people have undertaken DIY jobs during the lockdown, Aldermore Bank found.

Gardening, spring cleaning, painting the walls and wallpapering were found to be the most popular small projects, although some people had more ambitious plans such as renovating whole rooms or replacing flooring or tiling.

Younger adults appear particularly keen to have a go themselves, with six in 10 (60%) 18 to 34-year-olds – a mixture of Millennials and Generation Z – having taken up a DIY project during the lockdown or planning to do so in future.

This compares with 57% of 35 to 54-year-olds and 50% of people aged 55-plus.

People aged 18 to 34 were also more likely than the older generation to say they planned to give furniture a new lease of life by “upcycling” it as a DIY project.

The survey of 2,000 people across the UK suggested those in Northern Ireland are the most DIY inclined, with 55% attempting projects during the lockdown period.

This was followed by 50% of people in the north east of England and 42% in the West Midlands.

People in the north west of England were the least likely to have undertaken DIY home renovations, with 31% attempting a  project during the lockdown.

Jon Cooper, head of mortgage distribution at Aldermore, said: “DIY comes in surprisingly handy as a home owner, and learning how to fix, repair and renovate are fantastic life skills and great money savers too.

“It is brilliant to see the younger generations embracing DIY during this period in which home improvements are front of mind.

“Making a house a home can be rewarding in itself but it can also bring many additional benefits in improving the saleability and value of a property.”