Spring job booking deadline looms: Repair delays and DIY jobs could cost Aussies thousands
- New research reveals 40% of Aussie homeowners have repairs requiring tradie attention
- Meanwhile, 10-20% of jobs could have been avoided if homeowners called in a licensed tradie, instead of trying to fix it themselves
- In the lead-up to the busy spring home renovation season, hipages is urging Aussies to get on top of their repairs, with over 31,000 trusted and licensed tradies willing to help
1 July 2022, (Sydney, Australia) – New research reveals Aussies are savvy at safety-proofing their homes, but are prone to delaying repairs and underestimate the danger they could be in as a result.
Australia’s largest online tradie marketplace, hipages, has today unveiled its ‘Know Your Home’ Report, revealing 40% of homeowners currently have repairs requiring tradie attention in their home. Almost half (46%) admit that they’re likely to delay a repair because it’s ‘liveable’, while nearly one quarter (23%) believe they can fix it themselves.
Out of these jobs, four in 10 (39%) homeowners believe they have repairs worth more than $5,000 in their household, 25% between $1,000 – $5,000, and 22% believe their jobs are worth up to $1,000.
Since Aussies underestimate the skill and danger associated with home repair jobs, some homeowners may try to fix it themselves or delay the repair; however, according to licensed tradies this could be costing them additional thousands. This is alongside some jobs that homeowners should never attempt, such as electrical work and most plumbing, in addition to dangerous jobs like climbing ladders onto roofs.
In fact, Aussie tradies say that half (48%) of customers underestimate the complexity of a job, and 10-20% of their repair jobs could have been avoided if the customer had called in an expert sooner, instead of trying to fix it themselves.
Justin, Plumber, advises “don’t touch it yourself”:
“We’re a nation of DIY-ers, so I understand the temptation to have a go at repairs yourself, but often this causes a bigger problem and costs more in the long run. Put down the tools to avoid a more expensive repair, and know when to call in a licensed tradie who you can trust.
“Demand is strong right now, but I still have space for repair jobs in addition to the planned renovations we have in the pipeline.”
Stuart Tucker, hipages Chief Customer Officer, is urging homeowners not to delay repairs:
“Homeowner repairs never stop, but every year we see a spike during spring for renovation and repair jobs. During times of high demand it can be tempting to opt for the quickest or cheapest help. However this can create additional problems and wind up costly than if a qualified tradie had been sought in the first instance.
“Working with a licensed and trusted tradie is important year-round, and something homeowners shouldn’t compromise on – even during busy periods. One way to ensure you’re not caught out is to book as far in advance as you can.
“There are 31,000 licensed tradie businesses available now on hipages to help Aussies get ahead of the seasonal boom.”
Booking data shows spring 2021 was hipages’ biggest season for jobs. Outside of repairs, hipages is advising homeowners seeking renovations to connect with tradies now, ahead of the anticipated demand in October and November.
hipages makes it easy for homeowners to source the best, trusted tradies for a job as they can access all the information they need in one place, including price and customer recommendations, as well as the ability to compare quotes.
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About the research
Commissioned by hipages Group in conjunction with Thrive Insights, the research was conducted online in May 2022. Findings are based on a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 Australian homeowners aged 30-65 years.Secondary research was conducted amongst tradie business owners / directors or decision makers. Findings are based on a nationally representative sample of 512 Australian tradies aged 18+ years.
About hipages
With one job posted every 20 seconds on average, hipages is Australia’s largest online tradie marketplace that connects Australians with trusted tradies to simplify home improvement. As the leader in the On-Demand Tradie Economy, based on jobs posted, our aim is to create a seamless experience for both tradies and homeowners. For homeowners, hipages provides a better, smarter way to connect with local tradies to get the job done well. For tradies, the platform helps them grow their business by providing quality leads from their customers looking for a specific trade. To date, over three million Australians have changed the way they find, hire and manage trusted tradies with hipages, ultimately providing more work to the 31,000-plus tradies subscribed to the platform. The hipages app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. www.hipages.com.au