Australians Spending More on
Home Renovations and Outdoor
Living Areas
Just Patios
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mindsets of people. Those who believed the home could never
be conducive to work now think remote work arrangements are instrumental to work-life balance. With
that shift in perspective comes the renewed appreciation for their home – especially the outdoor living
spaces.
According to the 2021 Trend Report of the International Casual Furnishings Association, 78% of
respondents upgraded their outdoor spaces during the pandemic, and 90% now claim their outdoor living
spaces are more valuable to them.
Survey respondents say that while their outdoor areas were recreation hubs for their family pre-
pandemic, these have become central to their mental and psychological health during the past two years.
People are doing more gardening, grilling, outdoor exercising, playing with children and pets, and outdoor
dining.
In terms of outdoor furniture, lounge chairs, outdoor lights, grills, garden tables, fire pits, and umbrellas
are on homeowners’ priority list of purchases. Patios, verandas, and balconies will also be among the
property features that can fetch a precious price for home sales
With the pandemic forcing most people to stay home, homeowners have rediscovered home renovation and
found better reasons to do an overhaul. Australia is not new to renovation booms. Even back in 2015-2016,
residents had racked up billions of dollars in home renovation spending. The COVID-19 pandemic merely
encouraged it.
An article published last year on The Sydney Morning Herald stated that Australians are spending more on
renovations, reaching $1.14 billion in March 2021. The volume of approved private residential renovations in
NSW increased by 200 in just a month, between February and March 2021, amounting to $354 million from
$317 million.
The hike in home renovations was partly driven by the government’s COVID stimulus pac