Clearview National September 2019 - Issue 214 | Page 8

INDUSTRYNEWS
The rise of DIY
According to the 2018 Hiscox
Renovations and Extensions Report,
the number of people who chose to
improve their home, rather than relocate,
reached 26 per cent, compared to just
three per cent in 2013. But how has
this increase of at home renovators
changed the building supplies industry?
Here, Nick Cowley, managing director
of PVCu windows and doors supplier,
Euramax Solutions, discusses the rise of
’DIYers’ and the position of the industry.
» » NOWADAYS, PEOPLE
want to do it themselves. The
rise of ‘DIY’ or ‘do it yourself ’
has been heavily influenced
by DIY video tutorials and
home renovation programmes,
along with the difficulty some
face getting onto the property
ladder and the increasing
availability and scope of builder’s
merchants.
TAKING IT ONLINE
From learning a foreign
language to learning how to build
a table or remodel a bathroom,
the internet offers an outlet
to learn new things. This is
particularly apparent, as searches
for ‘how to’ videos on YouTube
are growing by 70 per cent, year
on year.
‘We’ll all be
installing new
windows, knocking
down walls for
patio doors
and renovating
bathrooms before
you know it.
Traditionally, consumers would
have had to rely on instruction
manuals or hire a professional
tradesperson to complete a home
improvement job. Nowadays, many
homeowners turn to their nearest
device and are beginning to take it
upon themselves to learn how to do
home improvement tasks.
As a result, many home
improvement stores, particularly
across the USA, are adding their
own content to platforms like
YouTube to help inspire, educate
and guide consumers in their DIY
journey.
THE SCREEN INFLUENCE
With popular DIY and
home improvement television
programmes like Grand Designs
and DIY SOS attracting
millions of viewers each week,
it’s not surprising that consumer
confidence in DIY is on the rise.
Home improvement programmes
showcase the endless possibilities
that can be created, and the
personal satisfaction and rewards
that can be achieved from ‘doing
it yourself ’.
The worldwide appeal of real
estate reality programmes can
also be responsible for home
design trends spreading across the
8 » SEP 2019 » CL EARVI E W- U K . C O M
globe, whether that be colours,
materials or furniture styles. From
glamourous expansive panes of
glass to rustic and farmhouse style
colour options, it’s clear to see the
impact.
MATERIALS MATTER
But what does all this mean
for the industry? DIY, trade
and builders merchant stores
offer affordable products and
are becoming an increasingly
convenient and popular option
for ‘DIYers’. It’s not just
businesses that can use builders’
merchants, now they are opening
their doors to individual ‘DIYers’
who are looking to renovate their
homes.
With well recognised suppliers
opening their doors to trade and
consumers alike, it means that
at-home DIYers can have access
to industry leading products, such
as those from Euramax. Making
these types of products more
accessible is further supporting
the growth of the DIY market.
As the way people learn to do
their own home improvements
changes, television programmes
continue to influence design
trends and trade stores offer more
choice to consumers, it’s easy to
understand the rise of DIY.
With a 23 per cent increase
in people that chose to improve
their home rather than move in
the short space of five years, it’s
only likely that this number will
continue to increase. We’ll all be
installing new windows, knocking
down walls for patio doors and
renovating bathrooms before you
know it.
www.euramax.co.uk