Survey: Practicality rules the day when it comes to outdoor DIY trends

The Home Projects Council, a recently formed panel of 10 home improvement experts, surveyed more than 1,200 homeowners planning home improvement projects in 2013. The findings: Functional utility rules the day when it comes to outdoor DIY projects.

Specifically, 57% of respondents reported that functional value was their most important consideration, compared with 28.3% who valued aesthetics and 14.7% who weighed price above all.

Green thumbs also had their moment when it came to "most desirable projects," with 49.1% favoring "plant a garden." The overwhelming majority (71.4%) were "very likely" to try this themselves.

Comparitively, projects respondents considered too difficult to do themselves included "build an outdoor kitchen;" "install a garden pond;" "pour concrete slabs for patios, steps or sidewalks;" and "resurface concrete driveway, sidewalk or patio."

Of the sample surveyed, 80% had household incomes from $50,000 to $250,000, with 36.6% claiming beginner-level skills, 54.8% considering themselves intermediate and 8.6% touting an expert level of skill.