The rise of lockdown DIY

Over the last six months, the majority of the UK has found themselves in full or partial lockdown – we’ve been sanctioned to our homes and have had to find new ways of keeping busy.

Whilst some people took up baking sourdough, reading or learning new languages, an even larger portion of the country decided to undertake some home improvements – thus bringing about the rise of lockdown DIY.

In fact, Kingfisher, which owns the B&Q and Screwfix chains, said it was hiring up to 2,000 temporary workers after online sales soared by more than 200% in May of this year.

So, why has the country gone mad for traditional construction and woodworking?

Well, having spent so much time in their homes, people have begun to see their space differently – are more aware of changes that could be made to improve their living situations.

Equally, with foreign holidays and care-free shopping trips a thing of the past, analysts think money that would otherwise have been spent frivolously on getaways and shopping is being diverted into home improvements.

The online DIY marketplace ManoMano said that over the last three months, sales of power tools had been nearly 250% higher than in 2019, and Homebase has announced that its timber sales were double last year’s as people sought to create home offices or additional storage.

In fact, people have found that they’ve been able to save on costs by cutting out the middleman, buying their materials straight from the supplier and taking on their projects themselves.

This father was quoted £20,000 to build a pergola, a BBQ kitchen and decking area during lockdown – a fairly substantial sum of money! So instead, he got onto the internet, picked up DIY skills from YouTube and got to work himself. By the time he completed the project, he had spent just £7,000 – a saving of £13,000.

Similarly, some people have found new ways of earning money thanks to their new-found interest in woodworking. When his cleaning company came to a standstill due to COVID19, Lee Furness decided to use his artistic talents to create ornately carved bird boxes – of which he’s had 40 orders at £50 a pop! This has given him a great secondary source of income whilst the dust settles on COVID.

And it’s important to note the mental health benefits of staying active and finding new hobbies. With more than two-thirds of adults in the UK (69%) reporting feeling somewhat or very worried about the effect COVID-19 is having on their life, it’s been particularly important to do things that bring you feelings of stillness and calm.

Therefore, it’s been no surprise to see a veg-growing revolution across the UK! As people turned to their gardens to begin growing their own crops, they’ve had to turn their hands to some DIY in the first instance to build planters for their gardens. If you’d like to find out how to build your own, read our latest resource here!

Now that we’re going into our second lockdown, it’s worth picking up some new skills that will keep you busy and content – so why not turn your hand at some lockdown DIY?

And that’s it!

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