Most Popular DIY Home Improvement Projects in Every State
Americans have been spending quite a bit of time in their homes this year, so it’s no surprise that many took the opportunity to spruce up their surroundings with home improvement projects.
Whether it’s putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls or an entire home renovation, DIY home improvement projects during the pandemic have come in all shapes, sizes and budgets. But which home improvement projects have been the most popular in your state? We analyzed Google search data in every state to find out which types of projects Americans have been taking on this year.
Exterior Home Improvement Projects
After being cooped up inside, Americans turned their attention to maximizing the curb appeal and outdoor space of their homes. According to our analysis, searches related to exterior home improvements were the most popular with 20 states having some type of outdoor project as their top search during the pandemic.
Searches related to painting the exterior of homes were primarily the most popular in the South, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Arkansas.
States like Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin were more focused on outdoor privacy and security. These states all searched the most for how to install a fence.
In New Mexico, “stucco paint” - which is a common Southwestern regional decor style - was the most popular term. Elsewhere in the Southwest, “install a ceiling fan” was the most popular search term in Nevada. With temperatures reaching well above 100 degrees in the summer, it’s probably no surprise ceiling fans are in high demand.
Interior Home Improvement Projects
The bathroom reigns supreme when it comes to interior home improvement projects. Overall, 16 states searched the most for bathroom-related projects during the pandemic.
States like Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Virginia were most interested in “bathroom remodel.” Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana and Rhode Island searched the most for how to install a bathroom toilet.
DIY or Contractor?
According to a survey of homeowners, a whopping 89% made some type of improvement to their home during the pandemic and 1 in 10 made an improvement to their homes for the very first time during last year.
Overall, 58% said they tackled the project themselves, 27% hired a professional contractor and 15% said they did some of the project themselves and hired a contractor for the rest.
Home Improvement Budgets
The budget for your home improvement project can rack up quickly if you’re not too careful. On average, homeowners said they spent around $3,797 on home improvements during the pandemic. Thirty percent of respondents said their budget fell within the $1,000 to $5,000 range.
Home Improvement Projects
Similar to our Google search analysis, homeowners focused their attention on improving the exterior of their homes during the pandemic. Overall, 86% say they made improvements to the outside of their home, which was followed by bathroom projects (45%), kitchen (43%) and living room (38%) improvements.
DIY Home Improvement Regrets
When it comes to DIY home improvement projects sometimes the finished product isn’t quite what you envisioned. Maybe you didn’t have the right equipment or maybe the craftsmanship was subpar. Either way, taking on a DIY project is a balancing act that requires time, money and patience in order to get it right. According to respondents, more than a quarter (27%) regret doing the work themselves. The biggest regrets? The project either took too long (77%), cost too much (57%) or the results didn’t meet their expectations (32%).
Methodology
Using the Google AdWords platform, we analyzed search volume trends for more than 2,700 terms and keywords related to DIY home improvement from March 2020 to March 2021 in all 50 states.
From March 12 - 19, 2021, we surveyed 870 American homeowners. Forty-nine percent of respondents were female and 51% were male. The average age of respondents was 40 years old.
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