DIY Home Improvements in a Post-Soviet Housing Market: A Socio-Spatial Analysis of Vilnius, Lithuania

Abstract

As part of the Large Analysis and Review of European housing and health Status (LARES), the WHO collected data in eight European cities during 2001 and 2002. Using this data, the paper analyses home-related ‘do-it-yourself (DIY)’ activities in Vilnius, Lithuania where housing was privatized following the collapse of Communism. The paper investigates whether DIY activities were prevalent near the ‘Old Town’ where officials encouraged renovation. It was found that overall, DIY activities were prevalent among households in 2001–2002 regardless of socio-economic status. However, residents of particular housing types were not more likely to engage in DIY activities nor was DIY activity associated with condition of buildings and open spaces between buildings. Nonetheless, perceptions of neighborhood quality were important in explaining DIY activity. The findings also show that DIY activity was no greater in/near the gentrifying city center than elsewhere. Interviews with Vilnius officials suggest several aspects of the local household or neighborhood environment not captured by the survey that help explain study findings.