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Homeowners are still planning home improvement projects at high rates, but are people still opting for professional help to complete those projects in 2021?

While some homeowners are DIYers, others prefer to hire a contractor for any major home improvement projects. How do the numbers compare, and what factors drive homeowners’ decisions to tackle the work or hire professional help?

Every quarter since 2012, HIRI has surveyed approximately 3,000 homeowners about their plans for home improvement in the coming months. The results for the first quarter of 2021, gathered January 7–13, provide crucial insight into how project planners feel about searching for and choosing products.

The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) partners with IHS Markit to develop an annual U.S. Size of Market Report. The current report is based on the most recent IHS economics forecast of the U.S. economy and looks at what to expect in the market through 2025.

Each quarter, the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) partners with The Farnsworth Group to survey contractors on a rotating list of topics, as well as their industry and business sentiment. The Q1 study reveals interesting statistics about contractors’ working relationships with customers and other professionals in the planning and financing stages of home improvement projects.

During the past 10 months of COVID19 lockdowns, homeowners have changed the way they think about their homes and have made many changes to improve them in ways that better serve their needs. In a qualitative study conducted by The Caney Group in partnership with HIRI, we identified five major themes about homeowner remodeling attitudes, behaviors, and future remodeling plans.

To provide manufacturers and retailers with consistent updates regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the home improvement industry, Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) partnered with The Farnsworth Group to develop the COVID-19 Impact Tracker. Since March 2020, our team has conducted regular research to understand the pandemic’s effect on purchasing behaviors of home improvement professionals and DIYers.

Each quarter since 2012, Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) has surveyed approximately 3,000 homeowners for its Home Improvement Project Intent Tracking Survey. The survey asks homeowners which of 32 different home improvement project areas (if any) they are planning in the next three months. It also explores to what extent they agree with statements about their homes and home improvement. The goal of these surveys is to better understand consumer project sentiment.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, “home,” for many, has doubled as an office, school, movie theater, gym and more. The bottom line? Homeowners are spending more time at home, undoubtedly changing how remodeling projects are prioritized. To capture how homeowners are prioritizing their project wish lists, the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) and the Caney Group conducted 20 interviews with homeowners across the United States.