Millennials Do It for the ‘Gram

Completed a DIY home improvement project recently? If you’re a Millennial, then we’d be willing to bet that you then posted a picture to social media to show off the finished product.

We recently conducted a survey where we were able to uncover the differences between Millennials and Baby Boomers when it comes to home improvement projects to celebrate the start of home improvement season 2018 and our now Tiny Kitchen Makeover viral campaign.

We surveyed a national sample of 1,231 consumers aged 24-72 who had completed a DIY home improvement project in the past two years and found that Millennials are more likely (23%) than Baby Boomers to land in the ER from a DIY home improvement project gone awry, and that overzealousness may be because they are eager to show off their latest project on social media.

Despite the finding that Baby Boomers are 22% more likely than Millennials to reach the finish line on their DIY home improvement projects, Millennials are 65% more likely than Baby Boomers to finish those projects ahead of schedule. But, Millennials are 448% more likely than Boomers to hire a professional the next time they embark on a home improvement project.

And that may very well be due not just to the time and energy it takes to complete a project, but the physical toll it takes, too:

• Millennials are 23% more likely than Boomers to have landed in the ER due to a home improvement injury

• Millennials are nearly two times (46%) as likely to have required stitches from a home improvement injury compared with Boomers

• Millennials are more than twice (119%) as likely to have been injured by power tools

But even a visit to the ER won’t deter Millennials from showing off on social media. Our survey found that Millennials are 443% more likely than Baby Boomers to make a purchase for their home based on something they saw on a friend’s social media profile.

And once they’re done with the job, Millennials are 145% more likely than Baby Boomers to post photos of the finished project on social media. They’re also not shy to admit why they’ve posted – they are 206% more likely than Baby Boomers to post photos of the finished product just to “show off”.

Check out the full percentage breakdowns:
• Baby Boomers are 22% more likely than Millennials to reach the finish line on their DIY home improvement projects (57.84% vs. 46.33%)

• Millennials are 65% more likely than Baby Boomers to finish those projects ahead of schedule (12.94% vs. 7.82%)

• Millennials are 448% more likely than Boomers to hire a professional the next time they embark on a home improvement project (27.4% vs. 5%)

Recommended: Thinking about your next project? Use SoFi’s Home Improvement Cost Calculator to help determine what it will cost.

• Millennials are 23% more likely than Boomers to have landed in the ER due to a home improvement injury (32.88% vs. 26.67%)

• Millennials are nearly two times (46%) as likely to have required stitches from a home improvement injury compared with Boomers (21.92% vs. 15%)

• Three quarters of Millennials (119%) are more likely to have been injured by power tools (21.92% vs. 10%)

• Millennials are 443% more likely than Baby Boomers to make a purchase for their home based on something they saw on a friend’s social media profile (31.03% vs. 5.71%)

• Millennials are 145% more likely than Baby Boomers to post photos of the finished project on social media (42.07% vs. 17.12%)

• Millennials are 206% more likely than Baby Boomers to post photos of the finished product just to “show off” (23.5% vs. 7.67%)

SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate is licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law, license number 6054612.