Many Australians have used their time in self-isolation and lockdowns to seek inspiration for home improvements and gardening, with an overall increase of 120% in total time spent engaging in house & garden content online. 

While there were significant increases across all age groups, the most notable was people aged between 25 and 39, which saw a 139% increase in engagement to the house and garden category since the Australian government announced stage restrictions on Sunday 29 March 2020. 

As the events surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have resulted in an increase in younger Australian’s interest in home improvements and gardening, it’s worth exploring the next generation of Do-It-Yourselfers. While there’s little doubt that much of the newfound interest stems from having an abundance of time, it’s not the only factor behind young consumers’ wanting to develop their green thumbs and tradie skills. 

Looking at Australia’s 1.3 million do-it-yourselfers aged 25-39, it is very clear that they are very early in establishing their home and family lives. Early in their married life and with young families, establishing that family home for years to come has become a high priority. Compared to other do-it-yourselfers, they are substantially more likely to have either been living in their current address for less than a year or in the process of purchasing a home within the next 12 months. With a higher household income than the average Australian household, now is an opportune time for these young Australians to give their home a makeover for the short and long term.

In recent years, this age group has most specifically found it difficult to get into the housing market. As the housing bubble grew exponentially over the past decade, affording the dream home in the dream location has become increasingly out of reach for this age group and as a result, older fixer-upper is their only option. With young families or having the intention to have a family in the near future, this age group is at the stage where they are doing what they can to make that fixer-upper as close to that dream home as possible.  

As Do-It-Yourselfers strive to improve that fixer-upper, they intend to invest a substantially higher amount of money on renovations when compared to other Do-It-Yourselfers. When it comes to home improvements, 78% of Do-It-Yourselfers aged 25-39 intend on doing external renovations such as landscaping, gardening and painting and compared to other Do-It-Yourselfers, they are substantially for likely to undertake major renovation work such as kitchen and bathroom renovations as well as extensions. For this age group, interior decorating is less of a focus, and they are more focussed on the basics, those much needed early fixes.      

Compared to other Do-It-Yourselfers, those aged between 25-39 are very passionate about their projects and for them, polishing their gem is a life event in which they actively seek inspiration for and are enthusiastically sharing their achievements with others online. 

• People aged 25-39 are at the very early stages of not only their family life but also their home ownership life. A majority of them have either been living at their current address for less than 2 years or are in the process of buying a new home. Marketers should be mindful that the work that this group does is more large scale and about making the house more compatible for their long-term family needs.
• This age group are more open to new ideas for home improvements than other Do-It-Yourselfers. Marketers should continue to focus on providing inspiration and ideas for this group who are less experienced at doing these home improvements and need guidance.    
• This group is more focussed on larger projects and are likely to be for the longer term and marketers need to provide basic and practical advice for home improvements on a budget.
• Young Do-It-Yourselfers are very proud of their achievements and are highly likely to take to social media and blogs to share their experiences with the world. This is not only an opportunity to forge a relationship with this age group for years to come but also to have them as online advocates for other Do-It-Yourselfers and future Do-It-Yourselfers.     

Methodology

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Nielsen and The Readership Works (TRW) have a relationship that sees Nielsen’s national Consumer & Media View (CMV) incorporated into emma Cross Platform readership data. This is known as emmaCMV. For over 20 years, Nielsen’s CMV has surveyed consumers across Australia capturing an array of insights that help clients tackle marketing and media challenges. Whether they are involved in the planning, buying or selling of advertising, or responsible for brand strategy, Nielsen CMV insights provide the power to create effective marketing strategies and, ultimately, achieve business and marketing goals. emmaCMV is an enhanced and convenient solution that integrates Nielsen’s CMV into emma to provide readership, attitudinal, lifestyle and product data in one place. This information provides a comprehensive profile of the print consumer and their purchase intentions which supports more actionable analysis and insights.