Do-it-yourself share of home improvement increases

In 2017 European consumers opted to do it themselves more often. The proportion of home improvement projects realised as do-it-yourself, rather than commissioning a tradesman (Do-it-for-me), increased from 65 per cent in 2016 to 67 per cent. The DIY share increased most in Germany (plus 8 per cent), Belgium (plus 6 per cent) and Spain (plus 5 per cent). In contrast, the proportion of DIFM projects grew in particular in Denmark (plus 5 per cent), Italy (plus 4 per cent) and Sweden (plus 3 per cent). These figures were revealed by the European Home Improvement Monitor of the Dutch USP Marketing Consultancy.
In the other five countries surveyed - France, the Netherlands, Poland, Great Britain and Austria - the ratio of DIY to DIFM has remained more or less stable. Where the DIY proportion has risen, this could be due to the fact that professional services have become more expensive in the countries concerned, according to the market researchers. A possible explanation for DIY generally being more popular than DIFM is that the baby boomer generation still knows how to do it oneself, while younger people often cannot afford to get tradesmen in.