Behind The Hammer And The Lipstick

More single women than ever can be found shopping in home improvement centers. One big reason — more single women are homeowners. Single women are fast becoming a key audience for do-it-yourself (DIY) information, products and tools. A recent survey by Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse shows that a majority of single women homeowners are tackling home improvement projects on their own, both to save money and for the sense of accomplishment it gives them.

Single women are the fastest growing segment of the housing market; they are buying homes at twice the rate of single men. Their increased interest in home improvement is reflected in the fact that one-third of all DIY purchases in 1999 were by women. So what kind of projects do these handywomen tackle?

Women’s projects tend to be more design-focused — gardening, landscaping and interior decorating. But today’s woman isn’t afraid to take on everyday fix-it projects when needed.

“Most single women may consider themselves novice or intermediate do-it-yourselfers, but they are confident they can learn to do projects without the help of a professional,” said Melissa Birdsong, director of trend forecasting and design for Lowe’s. “Single women are more self-reliant than ever, tackling all kinds of home improvement projects on their own.”

Most single women own basic tools and even a few power tools. Only 2 percent of those surveyed said they don’t own any tools. Many of the single women surveyed own a collection of basic tools and at least a couple of major power tools. More than 90 percent said they are comfortable with power tools in general.

“As a single woman, I own several power tools and find my drill-driver in particular to be essential,” said Birdsong. “It’s great because I can use it for a wide variety of tasks, and it makes the entire process faster and more efficient.”

Birdsong is not alone. The drill is the most popular power tool among single women (57 percent). Power saws, sanders and electric screwdrivers follow. When asked which tool they can’t live without, most women said a screwdriver or hammer.

Birdsong said that a good basic toolbox should include a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, wrench, hacksaw, utility knife, tape measure and level.

About three-quarters of all respondents say their top projects are interior decorating or landscaping. Less than 40 percent say they tackle exterior maintenance, and only about 10 percent do major renovations themselves.

“This probably has more to do with finances or time than the idea that single women are reluctant to tackle major projects,” she said. “When asked what projects they would like to take on but are hesitant to do, only 11 percent mentioned a big project such as adding a room or remodeling.”

When a single woman DIY-er needs help, most (75 percent) turn to a friend for advice. They also look in magazines, visit local home improvement stores, read books, watch home improvement television shows or surf the Internet. This is true for women of all ages, although women age 55 and older are much less likely to turn to the Internet for help or information.

When it comes to their home improvement expertise, nearly half (46 percent) of all single women say they are novice DIYers. More than one-third feel they are at the “intermediate” level, and less than 10 percent feel they are advanced. Just 3 percent of women say they are experts.

Younger women are more likely to do projects themselves than are women age 55 or older. However, women in the older group are more likely to call themselves experts.

Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of single women do improvement projects at least once a month. More than 10 percent have a DIY project every week. Those with projects once or twice a year are more likely to be age 55 or older, while those ages 18 to 34 are most likely to have a weekly or monthly project.

While saving money is a prime DIY motivation for younger women, other reasons include having learned from parents, there’s no one else to do it, they are no longer with the person who once did it and they don’t want to rely on anyone else. And it could be that single women — just like many men — would rather do it themselves than wait for a hard-to-find professional to do smaller jobs.

Real Estate Center Online News, August 2001.

Copyright© 2002, David S. Jones
All right reserved
For information contact FrogPond
800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com

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