Americans think we’re handy. Here’s why that could be handy

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked: Last fall, Ipsos presented consumer trends to a home improvement research organization. It got us wondering who’s doing that handywork these days. Which led us to a more general question: How handy do we think we are as a nation? 

What we found: Most of us think we’re handy. I say “us” here, even though I would not consider myself in that group. While men (35%) are nearly twice as likely as women (18%) to "strongly agree" that they are handy, overall a sizable majority of Americans (71%) say they are handy. The younger folks are more likely to say this than older Americans. Which is interesting because most (73%) also think their parent(s) were/are handy, and that’s more evenly true across generations.

But also we have a great deal of confidence that if there’s a video online we can learn how to tackle home improvement projects. Almost eight in ten agree, and that’s also pretty high across all age groups. (In another note for follow-on research, I’m curious how many would say their spouse/partner is handy. I suspect there’s some Dunning-Kruger effect happening here.) 

Here are two reasons why this might be handy.

• First, the motivation around DIYing. While 80% say they like doing DIY projects around their home, 66% say they’re doing more DIY because it’s expensive to hire people (consistent across income groups) and 50% say it’s because it’s hard to find people to hire. That’s also consistent across income groups although in both cases it seems to be affecting younger people more heavily.
• Second, because of the squeeze in the housing market. The feeling of being "stuck" by low mortgage rates is most acute for the 35-54 age group (23% strongly agree), who are likely in their peak years for needing to upsize or relocate for work. (See also What the Future on the American Dream.) Half of Americans don’t feel there is enough housing on the market where they live.

One might think an obvious solution would be to build more affordable housing. That’s partially true, but support is divided. Lower-income Americans (44% of those under $50k) strongly support more construction, while only 24% of those making $100k+ agree. Politically, the divide is equally clear: 40% of Democrats strongly support more construction, compared to just 25% of Republicans. That said, some studies have shown that building more high-end housing can also help create more affordable housing, because unlike trickle-down economics, trickle-up housing actually works. 

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

AI skepticism is still high, and ads could hurt trust even more

Lack of need and lack of trust are still barriers for AI adoption

A partisan split has opened in the need for government to play a role in AI regulation

One in three don’t plan to celebrate Valentine’s day

Quality and desire lead in reasons Americans will splurge on a purchase

The Ipsos Vibe Check: Here's how Americans feel about the government this week 

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?