BRYAN, Texas — From food to gas, inflation is impacting many Americans' finances, which has caused people to try and cut costs anyway they can.
This includes what it costs to conduct repairs on a home.
A homeowner survey done by AllStar Home, a remodeling company reports that an average of $2900 dollars has been spent on home repairs in 2023. However, a different trend is showing among people trying to cut repair costs.
"Everything costs more right now," said Emily Thornton, AllStar content specialist. "So our survey found that 70% of Americans are using social media to help them with those DIY projects."
Taking on repairs like plumbing, painting and drywall, and pest control were voted the highest in which types of repairs people take into their own hands.
In fact, one in four admit they could not afford an emergency home repair right now. Meanwhile, 72% have called experts due to 22% of respondents reporting that a repair has been made worse when doing it themselves.
From YouTube to Pinterest, tutorials for pretty much everything is all online, which is an advantage for you, according to Thornton.
"At our fingertips we have access to a lot of videos, guides, etc. so it's no surprise people are taking on, especially some of these smaller projects around their house," said Thornton.
This has even trickled down to the home repair industry. Blake Robinson is the owner of Ace Handyman services in College Station.
"Our costs of doing business has gone up dramatically, which has in turn led to the cost of services going up," Robinson said. "We're spending more money on our insurance policy, our vehicles."
He believes the rollercoaster ride the housing market has been on is the reason why people have been pushed to more DIY projects.
"A lot of customers now are more interested in improving their home and investing in their home because it's their most valuable asset," he said.
Whether you choose to take on the project yourself or call an expert, your home is a valuable asset, and being well-informed about the projects you choose to undertake can result in money saved or extra costs for you in the end.
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