A report was recently released on The Role of Women in Home Improvement. In this 127-page report, the role of the female homeowner was explored from various aspects.

*Of 36 different project types studied in total, women were the primary product selectors for 44% of the total completed projects reported and were also the primary doers (DIY) or executors for 29% of the home projects.

* Women were the highest actual project doers for ones such as stripping/refinishing furniture, shampooing carpeting and planting a garden and were highest as major product selectors when it came to stripping/refinishing furniture, adding or replacing carpeting, painting a room, remodeling a kitchen or bathroom and the replacing/refinishing of flooring.

*When viewed on the basis of dollar spending where women were the primary selectors of products needed for the projects, women accounted for 36.7% of the grand total vs. 25.5% for men. But on an individual project basis, female homeowners were more than one-half to two-thirds for projects such as kitchen & bathroom remodeling, interior painting, carpet additions or replacements and the replacement or refinishing of flooring.

*The 2005 HIRI Project Decision Study serves as another reference point for the involvement of women in major household home improvement projects. Female head of households alone were the project idea initiators for 40% of them while also contributing to the 12% joint female/male component. Women by themselves were over 50% for projects that included interior painting and the remodeling of either a kitchen or bathroom.
Product Purchasing
* Overall, women were the actual in-store purchasers for about 41% of all products reported by total homeowners in the 2006 HIRI PPTS on a purchase occasion basis. This is based on 226 product items in 14 categories and a grand total of 15,500 individual purchases. On a dollar purchase basis for these same items, females accounted for 44% of the total.
* On both a purchase unit and dollar spending basis, women were by far the highest in overall categories such as wall/window/ceiling/floor coverings, major household appliances and kitchen & bathroom remodeling.

The Fixie Chick