How a data nerd approaches DIY home improvement projects

I started 2021 by buying an 1885 hulk of a home, sight unseen, with visions of restoring its earlier grandeur. In almost two years, I've restored three of many rooms and tackled multiple smaller projects, by myself.

Do-it-yourself home improvements can save a lot of money, but that's hardly the only reason to dive in. One in 4 homeowners took on DIY home improvement projects over the past two years because they like doing that kind of work themselves, according to the recent NerdWallet Home Improvement Report. (That nationally representative survey asked 1,404 homeowners about their home improvement activities and sentiments, and was conducted online by The Harris Poll from Sept. 27-29, 2022.)