Now that fall has hit Louisville in full force, you might be thinking about some outdoor projects to increase the curb appeal of your home. Whether you are planning to list your home for sale and want to instantly grab potential buyers or whether you want to increase the enjoyment of your home, adding attractive features to your yard will enhance the neighborhood too. As with any improvement, the question always is what you do yourself and what should you contract out for best results.
Recently, a group of home improvement experts launched the new Home Projects Council (HPC) to promote DIY projects that are manageable for most homeowners. The goal of the Council, according to Frank Owens, HPC member and Vice President of Marketing for the QUIKRETE ® companies, is to “help homeowners increase the value of their homes by not only identifying trends, but by inspiring and steering them to successfully handle projects without they help or cost of a professional.”
The Home Projects Council Survey
As one of their first official acts, they surveyed 1, 278 homeowners about what exterior projects they had planned for 2013. The respondents were asked to prioritize the value of home improvement projects, indicate the resources they would use, and rate the perceived difficulty of various projects. The respondents were equally male and female. They assess their DIY skill levels as 36.6% beginner, 54.8% intermediate, and 8.6% expert.
The results?
- The top five most desirable projects, in the eyes of survey respondents, included: plant a garden (49.1%), use decorative materials, such as pebbles, stones, or rocks, for landscaping (28.3%), build a deck 22.8%), create a fire pit or BBQ pit (20.5%), and build a patio or walkway with concrete pavers or bricks (19.2%).
- The top five projects respondents were very likely to tackle themselves included: plant a garden (71.4%), enhanced landscaping with decorative materials (57.2%), clean concrete or asphalt surfaces (45.9%), stain or paint siding or windows (43.2%), and stain or paint exterior concrete surfaces, such as a driveway, sidewalk, pool deck, patio, etc. (39.6%). Additional respondents in each category said that they were moderately likely to tackle these jobs.
- As for the projects that respondents viewed his most difficult or intimidated, the top five were: building outdoor kitchen (58.1%), pour concrete slab for patios, steps, or sidewalks (46.6%), build a deck (44.4%), installer build a shed or storage building (28.8%), or resurface the concrete driveway, sidewalk, or patio (24.3%).
You can read the full survey here in the Council press release. The group does not appear to have a website yet but the release offers all the results, plus the names of Council members.
Why DIY?
The Council is not trying to encourage people to get in over their head with DIY projects but believes that most people can do more than they think they are capable of. With resources from HPC and their member websites plus social media and other Internet sources, the average homeowner can pick up new skills.
What renovations are you planning this year or next? What would you do yourself? Read our next blog for Part 2 for some comments I have.
If you looking for suggestions of worthwhile renovations to make before you sell your home, call me, Jessica Gaines from Louisville Gaines Real Estate. I can help!
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