Turn your DIY into an online business

Considering how popular home improvement and gardening shows have continued to be, It should be no surprise that similar content is proving to be a big hit on social media. But it should come with a warning!

If the explosion of cooking ‘hacks’ and recipe videos have inspired people to be more adventurous in the kitchen, is the rise in home DIY having the same effect - are people successfully copying what they see, or are they ending up with egg on their face as well as on the counter?

I’ve recently caught up with one of the biggest such accounts on Instagram that is like its own TV series. Justus Reid is one of those people where most people will exclaim “who?” as away from social media there is very little information about him. Whilst serving in the military he became fascinated with TikTok and whilst making travel videos and funny short videos he hit upon his own brand - benign popular in the Balkans!  He moved there full time and it is his latest project that has catapulted him into the big time with over 6 million followers. 

So what is his project? He bought a derelict ‘house’ (more of an abandoned shack) in some woods in Croatia that doesn’t have running water or even a road or path to it. Having paid just $5000 to buy it from a friend he enlists the help of neighbours to start clearing the property and surrounding area. Over the course of the - so far - 42 parts, Justus has received donations and help from a variety of companies in exchange for promotion and shout outs in his videos. This might seem unreal but then his videos are regularly watched by over 600,000 people! To put that in context, that’s similar to the viewing figures for This Morning and Lorraine on ITV!

Why is it so popular? It’s a feel good channel as it comes across like the triumph of the ‘little’ guy when a community comes together and the ‘generosity’ of small companies overcomes adversity. Justus also has a ‘can do’ attitude and an old fashioned American Dream persona. This is the inspiring part - look what determination and ambition can achieve to turn something that looks like a dump into a home? It is somewhat misleading for those who might be watching thinking ‘I can do that.” For one - there seems to be scant regard for health and safety procedures or planning permission or regulations of any kind! Unlike a proper broadcast show that has guidelines to mee and checks - there is no course to check what is actually happening - although I would love to hear Kevin McCloud’s thoughts!

In contrast to the upbeat American style, we have The Dodgy Gardener. There is a trend for the sweary and slightly cynical British version of these home improvement accounts and The Dodgy Gardener's account has grown to 90,000 followers and their videos regularly top 1 million views with one being watched 8 million times!!

His angle? He knows nothing about gardening so he got ChatGPT to design a new layout for his back yard and he is now attempting to turn it into a reality. In the early videos his trial and error approach seems to be putting him way over budget and - obviously - ChatGPT isn’t a landscape gardener who can show you the technique and material for your garden. As of his latest video - Part 57 - he is now ‘skint’ and asking for any companies to donate material in exchange for shout outs and product placement. The garden design itself is pretty bland and basic but - like Justus - might he inspire people to try something different and to be ambitious?

Maybe, and that can be a good thing. However, I suggest it should come with a warning as I think it’s important to remember that this is just entertainment and there is no one fact checking or adding important disclaimers to these videos as you would see with traditional broadcasters. I know this seems obvious but I have been surprised before by how often the obvious isn't as obvious as I think!

And if ever we needed a timely cautionary tale, we got one this week when a previous ratings hit on Grand Design finally reached a sad conclusion. After divorce, heartache and over £7million of debts, the ‘Lighthouse’ home overlooking the sea in Devon finally sold. 

Grand Designs and grand ambitions are admirable - but when it comes to taking inspiration from people online, it would pay to add a little realism and caution!