Beyond chocolate, hot cross buns and holidays, DIY projects are set to be a main activity over the Easter break with Australians tipped to spend $6.4 billion on home improvements and renovations.

Research by the Australian Retailers Association, in conjunction with Roy Morgan, projects that over a third of Australians 18+ (7.5 million) are planning to undertake DIY projects during the Easter long weekend.

Among those undertaking a DIY project, the average spend per person is $857 – with those aged 18-34 spending far more ($1,113) than other age group.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said Easter is an opportune time to pick up the tools and partake in some creative therapy.

“DIYs around the house are particularly popular for green thumbs over Easter,” he said.

“It’s the final break many people will have before winter sets in, and people who aren’t travelling traditionally use this time to upgrade the home and tackle jobs they’ve been putting off for months due to their busy schedules,” he said.

“Avid decorators, gardeners and home enthusiasts are tipped to spend $6.4 billion nationwide – which is a massive share of Easter expenditure and rivals the total spend on domestic travel.

“With an average spend of $857, we’re typically looking at modest projects that can be knocked over during the long weekend – painting, gardening, and minor cosmetic alterations to name a few.

“These are jobs that can be completed by most people – which explains why more than a third of Australians are partaking in this home improvement blitz.”

Some of the highlights of the research include:

• More than 33 per cent of women will undertake a DIY project.
• Victoria has claimed the mantle of the DIY state, with 42 per cent of Australians planning a project, followed by Queensland (36%) and Western Australia (35%).
• About 12 per cent of Australians estimate the cost of their project to exceed $2,000.
• Around two-thirds of the DIY spending – $4.4 billion – is set to be in the capital cities and while $2.1 billion will be spent in country areas of Australia.
• Most of the DIY spending over the Easter break – around $5.5 billion – is projected to be within the three largest states of New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland with almost $1 billion spread around the rest of the country.

The ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted March 10 –March 15, 2023.

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