Home Improvement And Repair Projects Have Never Been More Popular
And Easier To Accomplish
The popularity of HGTV (Home & Garden Television) has created a thriving market in do-it-yourself home improvement and interior decorating. All sectors of the home improvement industry have benefited since HGTV started airing in 1975.
The real estate boom was followed by a home improvement boom. People would buy a old house and want to redecorate the house from floor to ceiling. People who had lived in their houses for a while wanted new kitchen cabinets. The home improvement shows were an impetus for a massive movement by homeowners to start a remodeling revolution
The home improvements that people take on include makeovers from the attic to the basement. They perform functional repairs like fixing a leaky roof, replacing windows, and adding more room to the house. Then there are the projects that are just for the beautification of the home like updating kitchen, remodeling a master bedroom.
Some people use home improvement as a creative outlet. They paint and redesign just for the satisfaction of improving their living space. HGTV has been a large contributor to the home improvement revival.
HGTV reaches 89 million households every week and over 800,000 nightly prime time viewers. The format of the show has been copied several times and spin offs like Trading Spaces, Extreme Makeovers. Viewers sit for hours watching “Design on a Dime” "Devine Design", "Landscapers Challenge". The home improvement shows just keep coming.
HGTV provides instructions for thousands of home improvement projects. They provide video clips for everything from garden projects to constructing a bed. HGTV is the one-stop resource for finding anything you need for expert help with “doing it yourself” projects.
HGTV makes home improvement look easy and fun. HGTV gives viewers new ideas and inspires the week end warrior to do some type of home improvement project. HGTV mission is “to provide ideas, information, and inspiration for decorating and home improvement”.
The impact that HGTV has on home improvement can be measured in these statistics.
· Furniture sales grew by 75%, between Between 1995-2005
· Sales of home furnishings increased 97% in this same period.
These items included soft goods as well, carpets, lamps, area rugs, linens, glassware
People all over the country are decorating their
homes to look like these superbly beautiful fantasy creations that they view on HGTV. If you are not a “do it yourselfer” you can just imagine the way your home might look when you go on tours of million dollar home all across the country. You see people who look like you making grand improvements to shacks that end up looking like your dream home.
HGTV has had a dramatic impact on the home improvement industry because HGTV appeals to the age group of people who have the money to pay for major home improvement projects. The demographics of the typical HGTV is a female age 35-64 years old. Over 70% of HGTV viewers are females. That means that the female viewers are encouraging husband, fathers, brother to do the work so they can enjoy the benefits. The additional general consumer demographics for home improvement by female indicate:
· They shop more often
· Visit more stores
· Spend more than the typical shopper
The target demographic for the Do It Yourself Website is:
· Homeowners
· Ages 25-54
· Incomes of $60,000
· Internet access
· Propensity for home improvement
The home Improvement Research Institute studies show that both men and women are active participants in the planning of home improvement projects as well as the purchase of those products used for improvement.
By Tim Gorman
