DIY and home improvement market in France - statistics & facts
Pandemic and containment have profoundly altered the pace of our lives. The French have spent more time in their homes, started working more from home and have sometimes been subject to partial unemployment. Some have also been able to save more than they would have in ordinary times. A portion of the French population seems to have taken advantage of this first period of containment to devote more time to activities that were previously inaccessible to them for lack of time. Spending more time at home has thus led many French people to put home at the heart of their concerns, to rethink their interior to make it more pleasant, comfortable and functional. As a result, many have undertaken renovation and home improvement projects.
People are also increasingly seeing their garden as a place to grow their own food. In 2019, half of the French population considered a fruit and vegetable garden to be the ideal type of garden. This trend is also reflected in the way people change their gardening methods. The share of women who buy organic gardening products has tripled since 2010.
DIY and budget constraints
Improving one’s home can serve many purposes. People choose to undertake home improvement projects to improve their comfort, to prevent obsolescence or even to save money. In France, most people DIY a large part of their home improvement and decoration projects but prefer to rely on professionals for complicated work such as plumbing or electricity. In 2019, younger people seemed more likely to take care of the work on their own. Even if DIY is currently on trend thanks to Pinterest or YouTube, many also have economical reasons for choosing to renovate their home alone. In 2020, in all socio-economic groups in France, there was a gap between people’s financial needs and their available budget for home renovation. At the time of the lockdown, a good part of the French, and in particular the tenants, had a budget dedicated to this type of project of less than 500 euros.New perspectives in the garden sector
For those who have an outdoor space, home improvement can also include gardening and building new equipment in their garden. Relaxation and leisure remain closely linked to the ideal image of a garden. In fact, many claim to be taking care of their garden for this purpose. Moreover, having a swimming pool in the backyard is no longer a luxury that is reserved for the rich. In 2018, most private swimming pools in France belonged to people earning between 1,500 and 3,000 euros per month.People are also increasingly seeing their garden as a place to grow their own food. In 2019, half of the French population considered a fruit and vegetable garden to be the ideal type of garden. This trend is also reflected in the way people change their gardening methods. The share of women who buy organic gardening products has tripled since 2010.
