The pandemic forced people to retreat inside their own homes to be safe from the spreading virus. Populations worldwide have experienced their cities going into lockdowns, some of which have been very restrictive where individuals are only allowed to step out of their homes for essential purposes.
People then found different ways to entertain themselves while waiting for the pandemic to end. Many chose to stream movies, television shows, or random videos on Netflix, Disney, HBO Max, YouTube, or TikTok. Others started playing video games or board games with their loved ones.
Then, there are the people who, after spending so much time at home, had the desire to start redecorating and renovating.
The Global Home Improvement Movement
Millions of people in the United States have started home improvement projects in the past year. Many of them were part of the pandemic housing boom, which took advantage of historic low mortgage rates to upgrade to a bigger home or leave the renter’s life.
The rest, however, had extra money because they no longer have to commute to work, had excess money because holiday trips were canceled, needed extra space for new activities that they have to do at home, or were simply bored.
Whatever the reasoning behind the decision to take on a home improvement project, it has led to an increase in demand for furnishings.
According to reports, sites that sell home furnishings had record-breaking visitation numbers in 2020, reaching 13 million unique visitors from the U.S. by May. There is typically an uptick in demand during winter and spring. However, last year was way above the norm. The spike also coincided when a pandemic was announced and restrictions have been placed across the country.
In addition, the interest in home furnishings was sustained throughout the year.
Sales for home furnishings have also accelerated in the past year. The online spending on furniture, appliances, and other home equipment reached $12.1 billion in the second quarter of 2020 – the highest ever. There is also an increase of almost 50 percent compared to the first quarter of the same year.
DIY Home Improvement Rises in Popularity
The home improvement fever across the nation and many places worldwide has also increased the demand for supplies for DIY. Many homeowners are not hiring contractors or other professionals to work on home improvement. They are taking on the project on their own. Many people did not want to welcome strangers into their homes and expose their loved ones to COVID-19. They also are emboldened by the availability of tutorials on the internet.
What Is Experiencing an Outage?
Homeowners saw an increase in the cost of certain materials or shortages in supply. The price of steel, for example, saw an uptick of 215 percent. Part of it is because of the sudden surge in demand for appliances such as refrigerators and grills. Many steel mills also had to shut down because of the pandemic and the economic recession that followed.
Homeowners will get better luck by buying from a stainless pipe supplier directly for their home improvement needs. Steel pipes are popular because, aside from its versatility, it is also a common material used in industrial-style interior decor. There are several ways that homeowners can incorporate steel pipes into their homes.
They can use it as a towel rack or curtain rods for an easy project. For more advanced DIY-er, lighting fixtures.
The industrial interior design mixes metal with wood. SoDIY-ers also utilize steel pipes in tables and shelves.
There is also currently a shortage of lumber across North America. Like steel, there has been an increase in demand for lumber in the past year due to the renovation boom. The industry has also faced production challenges because of the pandemic.
Suppliers are struggling to keep up. They cannot easily accelerate production because of a lack of skilled (and willing) laborers and sawmills ready to be used.
This led to skyrocketing prices.
Vox revealed that the price of 1,000 board feet of lumber is now well above $1,000.
Lumber is one of the most commonly-used materials. It can be transformed into almost anything, including tables, shelves, or plant boxes. It is also needed in home construction.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unexpected home renovation boom in the past year, and it has created high demands for home furnishing and building materials. The demand is also causing shortages across the nation and raising costs as suppliers struggle to keep up.