87% of Millennials Are Sitting on Unfinished Repairs. Here’s How You Cash In
Let’s be clear, this isn’t bad news. It’s the opportunity of the year. Ace Hardware just dropped a survey that 87% of millennial homeowners have repairs they haven’t finished, and 84% are still putting them off.

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That’s not just a stat, it’s your next 200 customers.
Plumbing. HVAC. Drywall. Electrical. Paint.
They’re not doing it.
They don’t want to do it.
They’re tired of looking at it.
And they’re begging for someone to come fix it without ghosting, overcharging, or talking to them like they should know what a mixing valve is.
This market is wide open.
Here’s the Real Story
Ace paid for a national survey of 1,000 U.S. millennial homeowners.
Here’s what came out:
87% have at least one repair still unfinished
84% are putting it off
57% avoid parts of their home because something’s broken
30% have fully abandoned a project mid-way
63% prefer to hire a pro
And get this — 53% say they’d rather have peace of mind than the “I did it myself” badge
What's it mean:
Millennials want help, and they’re going to be the main customers for the next 3 decades.
They’re just not sure who to trust.
Ace is stepping in with fast booking, upfront pricing, and a network of techs.
Cool. Good for them.
But here’s what you should be doing about it.
Stop Selling Services. Start Solving Emotions.
Your competition is still posting “Call us for A/C tune-ups!”
You need to say:
“Sick of staring at that busted ceiling fan? We got you.”
“The drywall patch that’s been there since March? Let’s kill it this week.”
“No judgment. No drama. Just done.”
They’re not hiring you to install.
They’re hiring you to stop the stress of unfinished crap.
If you’re not speaking to that you’re invisible.
Make It So Easy They Don’t Think
Millennials will Venmo $15 for a smoothie.
They are not mailing a check.
If your quote process is “call us and we’ll maybe get back to you,”
you’ve already lost.
Here’s what wins:
Fast online booking
Instant quote ballparks
Text confirmation
Transparent pricing
Photos of your actual techs
Ace is doing this already. You should be doing it better because you’re local.
Make the Work Shareable
These homeowners are proud of their spaces.
46% love sharing their DIY wins.
So guess what happens when your crew patches their drywall, paints the wall, and makes it look brand new?
That customer posts it.
That’s free reach.
Free referrals.
Free leads.
But only if you:
Ask for a quick before/after shot
Make your trucks, uniforms, and techs look like professionals
Create 30-second reels walking through a project start to finish
The jobs already exist. You just haven’t pressed record yet. This is 2025.
Use This Data in Your Marketing
You don’t need a new idea. You just need to use this one.
Email Subject Line:
“84% of homeowners are putting off repairs. You don’t have to.”
Instagram Caption:
“That faucet you’ve ignored for 2 months? Let’s fix it this week. No hassle. No mess.”
Facebook Ad:
“Millennials: Ace says 87% of you have unfinished projects. We’ll finish them — fast. Book now.”
Blog Title:
“Why Millennials Are Ditching DIY (And Hiring Pros Who Show Up)”
This data is a marketing gift. Stop waiting to come up with something new. Just plug this in and hit go.
Final Word
This isn’t about Ace.
It’s about attention.
They just spent a pile of money telling homeowners:
Repairs are stacking up
DIY isn’t cutting it
Peace of mind > doing it yourself
Now the whole market is primed.
They’re nodding their heads.
They’re realizing… yeah, I really should get that fixed.
You can be the one they call or the one they scroll past.
Take the playbook, run the ads, launch the campaigns, and win the work.
The only thing stopping you is the excuse you’re about to make.
Have a story like this one or something you would like to share? Email us
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