It turns out more of us are opting to take matters into our own hands when it comes to fixing up our living spaces.
Apparently, a new generation of DIYers are forgoing upgrading to new homes, and instead revamping their current places – and with a personal touch. Canadian YouTube searches for ‘home renovation’ have grown steadily over the past five years while Google searches for ‘mortgage’ have remained consistent, according to a Google study.
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Of course, this could have something to do with the increasingly out-of-reach (see: insane) real estate prices in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. But it also has something to do with technology.
As it turns out, Canada is now seeing a younger demographic of homeowners who have a passion to create, not just consume. Not only do they have this desire to build and create, young people also take pride in their ability to make their homes unique with their newfound handy skills. Eighty-four per cent of Canadians who embarked on a DIY project in the past year say that they take pride in being handy around the house, according to Google.
With that said, only seven per cent of Canadians claim to have professional skills when it comes to home projects. That’s why it’s a good thing we have DIY tips available at our fingertips, with smartphones and online videos becoming almost as necessary as the tools throughout the whole renovation process, with 46 per cent of Canadians using search as a source of information when planning a DIY project.
Canadian DIYers are also looking for instant answers (presumably while browsing the aisles of their local Home Depot); home improvement related searches on mobile in Canada grew 44 percent from 2014 to 2015. As it turns out, online video is the new instruction manual, and instructional videos are a key source of before and during a project for 62 per cent of DIYers. One in four DIYers use their smartphone to follow along with a video tutorial during a project.
The digital age has made it more enticing to take on DIY projects – but also to share and show off your handy work. Nearly one-third (31 per cent) take and post pictures of their project via their smartphone during a DIY project.
If you’re looking for a little DIY inspiration yourself, check out these apps and sites:
The myPANTONE app gives you access to over 13,000 colours. It also allows you to pull colours from photos, automatically generate well-balanced colour schemes, and add voice and text comments to palettes.
The blog Remodelista has its own app which offers easy to digest content like their website does. Here, you’ll find all the design inspiration you need and document it with features like “Steal this Look” and “Design Files,” which allows you to bookmark and store your favourite posts and images.
The iHandy Carpenter app is essentially the handiest carpenter tool kit in the world – and one that won’t weigh you down. Offering five professional tools in one, it helps get the job done, from measuring to levelling.
The TapPainter app allows you to explore and visualize colours for interior spaces with respect to natural lighting conditions before you purchase the paint. The app analyzes the change in interior lighting, preserves it, and adjusts the colour brightness based on the room’s lighting within the image.
RoomScanPro is an app that draws floor plans all by itself. All you have to do is touch each wall with your phone (a godsend for the artistically challenged).
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