--- title: The Handiest Generation | Trendlines by Gradient description: Americans, on average, agreed they could complete 5.5 of the 15 presented tasks without hiring a professional. image: https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hubfs/Trendlines/Images/data_home_diy_plot.png --- ![](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trendlines/Images/data_home_diy_plot.png?width=300&name=data_home_diy_plot.png) [Cory Manento](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)2021/07/221 min read # The Handiest Generation [Previous ](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/americans-want-to-boycott-the-olympics-but-theyll-still-watch) [Next ](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/astronauts-or-atronauts) We’ve all been there. You just moved to a new place, and you’re eager to hang up your wall decor so your kitchen doesn’t feel like the inside of a Wendy’s. In your hastiness you hang up your *It’s five o’clock somewhere* sign juuust a bit crooked. The next step, of course, is to throw out that god-forsaken sign to bring you one step closer to adulthood. But once you’ve replaced it with something better you’re left with a visible hole in the wall from your initial misfire.   As it turns out, this 5/32-of-an-inch-sized problem is a pretty big one for younger Americans: **47% of Millennials, compared with just 17% of Boomers, agreed that they would need to hire a professional in order to fix a nail-sized hole in the wall.**   As you might imagine, it’s not just the smaller projects that have Millenials and Gen Z saying N-O to DIY. We asked Americans to tell us to what extent they agree they’d be likely to hire a professional for 15 different home projects, ranging from WiFi troubleshooting, to clogged kitchen sinks, to roof repair. The upshot: grandparents nationwide are shaking their head at younger generations’ ineptitude.   ![data_home_diy_plot](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Trendlines/Images/data_home_diy_plot.png?width=800&name=data_home_diy_plot.png)   Americans, on average, agreed they could complete 5.5 of the 15 presented tasks without hiring a professional. Homeowning Boomers in particular are the most prolific home DIYers, saying they could, on average, complete 7.4 tasks on their own. Don’t sleep on the skills of tool-wielding Gen X renters, either (7.1 tasks).   Not all of us are handy Boomers or have DIY-positive parents on speed dial, which is why we put together this Official Gradient Metrics Data-Driven DIY Guide to the Stars™. Behold:   **DIYable:** - Routine home cleaning (60% would DIY) - Patching up holes in the wall (60%) - Assembling new furniture (54%) **Might need some help:** - Getting rid of ants (43% would DIY) - Getting rid of mice (33%) - Painting exterior walls (29%) **Hire a pro:** - Mold removal (15% would DIY) - Heat not working (11%) - Roof repair (11%) On your next aimless meander around Home Depot in tears, remember that there is an alternative: pay somebody else to do it. ![avatar](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Landing%20Page/team_photos/gradient-cory.png?width=290&name=gradient-cory.png) [Cory Manento ](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)Cory holds a master’s degree and PhD in Political Science from Brown University, specializing in experimental survey research on voter attitudes, behavior, and electoral preferences. Coming from a background in which success is achieved through rigorous causal inference and sharp research design, Cory thrives on translating client needs into testable questions that yield actionable results. [mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com](mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com) ## RELATED ARTICLES ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "", "addressLocality" : "Brooklyn", "addressRegion" : "New York", "postalCode" : "NY 11249", "streetAddress" : "325 Kent Avenue" }, "email" : "hello@power.com", "knowsLanguage" : "en", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hubfs/branding/default/gradient_default_black.png" }, "name" : "Gradient Metrics", "telephone" : "+49 (0) 89 123 456", "url" : "https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/the-handiest-generation" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "abstract" : "Americans, on average, agreed they could complete 5.5 of the 15 presented tasks without hiring a professional.", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Cory Manento" }, "dateModified" : "July 21, 2022 9 PM", "datePublished" : "July 22, 2021 8 AM", "headline" : "The Handiest Generation", "image" : "https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hubfs/Trendlines/Images/data_home_diy_plot.png", "inLanguage" : "en", "keywords" : "[lifestyle]", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "The Handiest Generation", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hubfs/branding/default/gradient_default_black.png" }, "name" : "Gradient Metrics" }, "text" : "We’ve all been there. You just moved to a new place, and you’re eager to hang up your wall decor so your kitchen doesn’t feel like the inside of a Wendy’s. In your hastiness you hang up your It’s five o’clock somewhere sign juuust a bit crooked. The next step, of course, is to throw out that god-forsaken sign to bring you one step closer to adulthood. But once you’ve replaced it with something better you’re left with a visible hole in the wall from your initial misfire. As it turns out, this 5/32-of-an-inch-sized problem is a pretty big one for younger Americans: 47% of Millennials, compared with just 17% of Boomers, agreed that they would need to hire a professional in order to fix a nail-sized hole in the wall. As you might imagine, it’s not just the smaller projects that have Millenials and Gen Z saying N-O to DIY. We asked Americans to tell us to what extent they agree they’d be likely to hire a professional for 15 different home projects, ranging from WiFi troubleshooting, to clogged kitchen sinks, to roof repair. The upshot: grandparents nationwide are shaking their head at younger generations’ ineptitude. Americans, on average, agreed they could complete 5.5 of the 15 presented tasks without hiring a professional. Homeowning Boomers in particular are the most prolific home DIYers, saying they could, on average, complete 7.4 tasks on their own. Don’t sleep on the skills of tool-wielding Gen X renters, either (7.1 tasks). Not all of us are handy Boomers or have DIY-positive parents on speed dial, which is why we put together this Official Gradient Metrics Data-Driven DIY Guide to the Stars™. Behold: DIYable: Routine home cleaning (60% would DIY) Patching up holes in the wall (60%) Assembling new furniture (54%) Might need some help: Getting rid of ants (43% would DIY) Getting rid of mice (33%) Painting exterior walls (29%) Hire a pro: Mold removal (15% would DIY) Heat not working (11%) Roof repair (11%) On your next aimless meander around Home Depot in tears, remember that there is an alternative: pay somebody else to do it.", "url" : "https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/the-handiest-generation", "wordCount" : "538" } ```