Walking into my home, it's not the welcoming, rustic furniture or the scent of freshly baked cookies that grabs your attention. Rather, it's the unfinished wall painting, that bathroom in desperate need of a remodel, or the flooring that hasn't been updated since the '90s. This might sound like a unique situation, a rare sighting, but it turns out I'm not alone. Welcome to the typical American home of 2023, where nine unfinished DIY projects silently mock us from every corner.
According to a recent survey, the average American home has nine - yes, you read that right, nine - DIY jobs that are crying out for attention. What's even more surprising, or perhaps not, is that only a measly 10 percent of homeowners surveyed felt they had their home maintenance tasks under control.
As I navigated my way around the piles of untouched tools and paint cans, I couldn't help but resonate with the 90% who felt overwhelmed by their never-ending to-do list. And I became curious about what sort of tasks make up this burdensome backlog of housework.
Here's a snapshot of the most common unfinished jobs that lurk in our homes, waiting to be tackled:
Painting – 55 percent: This is the undefeated champion of all DIY tasks, with more than half of us needing to brush up on our painting skills. Whether it's just one room or the entire house, the task of painting seems to be a monumental one for most homeowners.
Bathroom remodel – 30 percent: Surprisingly, a significant number of homeowners are halfway through a bathroom makeover. A place for tranquility and self-care now seems to be a constant reminder of that dreaded unfinished business.
New flooring – 28 percent: With flooring trends changing faster than we can keep up, it seems we're left in the dust (literally) with outdated flooring. This is one project that screams for completion but often gets pushed to the bottom of the list.
Landscaping – 27 percent: Our exteriors aren't exempt from the DIY plague either. Many a green thumb has ventured into the world of landscaping, only to be deterred by the sheer scale of the task.
Kitchen remodel – 27 percent: Ah, the heart of the home. Who doesn't dream of a modern, functional kitchen? But with such a major project comes the risk of it being left unfinished, much like the 27 percent of homeowners currently cooking around chaos.
It's clear we are a nation of optimists, always looking at the potential in our homes. But with ambition comes the tendency to bite off more than we can chew. That is why we often find ourselves in the midst of a home improvement jungle, unable to see the finished room for the incomplete tasks.
This leads me to my question for you - what DIY home project has remained unfinished the longest in your home? Is it a bathroom remodel that started when mullets were in style? Or perhaps that kitchen update that hasn't seen any progress since Friends aired its last episode?
I'd love to hear about your most enduring DIY challenges and maybe, just maybe, we can muster up the motivation to move them from the 'To-Do' list to the 'Done' list together.