The festive season is upon us, bringing with it twinkling lights, home gatherings, and last-minute “quick fixes” before the in-laws descend. This year, research conducted ahead of the holiday season reveals that 42% of Brits feel the pressure to spruce up their homes to impress guests, adding to the stress of Christmas cooking.
The study, commissioned by OpenAI, also uncovers a broader trend: winter is subtly becoming the preferred season for home improvements, surpassing spring. The shorter days, increased indoor time, and tranquillity of January inspire a whopping 78% of Gen Z and millennials, and 43% of Brits overall, to embark on home projects during the chillier months. The top motivator for DIY is saving money (51%), followed by a sense of achievement (29%) and the chance to learn new skills (23%).
In line with this seasonal shift, 68% of Gen Z and millennials are now turning to ChatGPT for personalised DIY advice and home inspiration. AI chatbots have become more popular than Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram for tips and ideas, whether it’s for adding festive decorations, refreshing a room for guests, or finishing those holiday DIY projects in time for Christmas.
The surge in AI tools for home improvement coincides with research showing Britons are battling to transform their ideas into reality.
Whilst social media brims with “before and afters”, tips and home renovation clips, it’s also sparking a phenomenon of “moodboard paralysis” – that overwhelming sensation of being motivated by Pinterest-perfect spaces yet feeling clueless about where to begin.
Indeed, over half of Gen Z and millennials (55%) acknowledge they find it challenging to bring their bookmarked social media inspiration to fruition.
This is fuelling an increase in “DIY ghosting”, with 40% of Britons – rising to 62% amongst Gen Z and millennials – admitting that over the past two years they’ve embarked on a DIY venture but never completed it.
The consequences extend beyond a handful of unfinished shelving units, as DIY devotees report squandering an average of £160 and seven hours on these deserted endeavours.
Regarding obstacles, it’s not merely creative confidence that’s crumbling – practical abilities represent a significant hurdle too, with four in five (79%) Britons acknowledging they cannot complete a fundamental DIY task without encountering problems.
For the younger demographic, even the most straightforward tasks seem alien.
A quarter (25%) of Gen Z admit they find replacing a plug fuse challenging, alongside bleeding a radiator (24%) and wallpapering a room (22%). With a growing gap between inspiration and execution, Brits are increasingly seeking assistance from AI. OpenAI reports that DIY is now one of the top 10 uses for ChatGPT in the UK2, with nearly half of Brits (45%) already using or considering AI tools like ChatGPT to aid their home improvement projects, and a whopping 73% finding it beneficial.
ChatGPT offers step-by-step instructions, hands-free guidance via voice mode, real-time troubleshooting, and even creates moodboards and mock-ups, allowing users to visualise a room makeover before swinging a hammer. It’s quickly becoming the ultimate digital companion, helping Brits turn their ideas into reality.
This Christmas season, ChatGPT has teamed up with interior design creator Matilda Bea to share her top tips, tricks and go-to prompts for using the platform for DIY and interior design needs.
Interior design enthusiasts can also download The Makeover, a free digital guide by ChatGPT and Matilda Bea, offering the nation the best chats to get ahead of DIY and home improvement this winter.
Matilda Bea, who recently renovated her kitchen with the help of ChatGPT, says: “Home design can often feel overwhelming. We’re all guilty of saving endless inspiration, but actually knowing where to start and bringing it to life in your space is where people get stuck.
“Now ChatGPT can help to bridge the gap – even if you’re not sure of what you want, you can upload a photo of a room and describe the rough vibe you’re after, and it will pull the colour scheme, materials, layouts, and styling ideas into a clear, cohesive vision. It’s the first tool that’s genuinely helped me see my ideas before committing.
“Renovating my kitchen showed me how invaluable it can be – from layouts and lighting to colours, storage, and materials, the choices can be exhausting. ChatGPT became my interior design partner I could brainstorm with, test ideas, and compare options before making any expensive decisions.
“It’s also the secret hack for nailing the practical stuff – from serving up quick, easy DIY tips that save so much time and money in the long-run to doing supplier research for me and explaining tasks I need to understand to brief the builders properly.
“Whether you’re a complete beginner with no idea where to start, or an interior enthusiast fine-tuning a space, ChatGPT can help you bring your vision to life – while helping navigate the tricky DIY and project planning parts.”
