Landscaping tops list of outdoor DIY projects

A lot of homeowners have resolved to work on their lawnscapes in the new year, according to a recent survey from the Home Projects Council.

The most popular outdoor do-it-yourself home improvement New Year’s resolution project is landscaping in the front or backyard, according to HPC’s survey of 540 homeowners. HPC is a collection of home improvement experts from various fields.

In addition to revealing the priority outdoor DIY home improvement projects planned next year, the HPC survey also forecasts an increase in time and money spent on projects by homeowners in 2014.

“While it’s no real surprise that homeowners plan to do more home improvement projects in the coming year, it is a shift that they are taking on more projects that have traditionally been left to professionals,” said Frank Owens, VP marketing for The Quikrete Companies and HPC member. “The survey also found that homeowners are planning to make a larger financial commitment to DIY home improvement projects next year, which might suggest some cautious economic optimism heading into 2014. Overall, the survey indicates homeowners are gaining confidence in their ability to complete more challenging and complex projects.”

Homeowners selected landscaping (15.2%), planting a garden (13.5%) and building a deck (6.3%) as the top three outdoor DIY home improvement New Year’s resolution projects (see chart). Landscaping is defined as improving the appearance of an outdoor area with design elements like stepping stones, benches, fountains, waterfalls and other hardscapes features. By comparison, planting a garden pertains only to transforming an outdoor area into a space where plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables are grown.

Nearly 43% of the survey respondents plan to spend more money, and nearly 45% plan to send more time on outdoor DIY home improvement projects in 2014.