Family Handyman Debuts "The Getaway," A First-of-its-Kind Editorial Project Informed by Audience Insights

New "cabin in the woods" shows millions of homeowners how to build a vacation home step-by-step, informed by audience insights and home improvement trends in the new era of domestic travel

News provided by

Family Handyman

Aug 17, 2021, 08:00 ET

EAGAN, Minn., Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Handyman, a leading and trusted source for DIY home improvement, today unveiled its completed first-of-its-kind editorial project, "The Getaway," an innovative and modern 1,000-square foot home built from the ground up just outside of Weyerhaeuser, Wisconsin. The Family Handyman team broke ground in April to show its nationwide audience of 11 million DIYers how to build a home away from home in today's post-pandemic era of domestic travel. Along the way, editors documented the details of the planning, designing and building phases to share DIY home projects as well as helpful tips and techniques on FamilyHandyman.com. In sharing the journey online, Family Handyman brought its community into the remote experience. To read the full story behind The Getaway or to see video of the project coming to life, visit FamilyHandyman.com.

"We heard from our audience that they wanted to know how they can achieve a second home that gives them the opportunity to get away and spend quality time with family and friends, and The Getaway project allowed us to do just that," said Family Handyman's Chief Content Officer Nick Grzechowiak. "We share every aspect of the process so people can make it a DIY reality. It's our most ambitious initiative in 70 years of storytelling."

Inspired by National Trends and Audience Insights
The Getaway was informed by insights from the Family Handyman audience which represent several key national home and travel trends. A survey conducted at the start of the project indicated that 85 percent of readers considered their home the most important investment. And, after a year of restrictions, the Family Handyman audience reported that they are traveling this summer and those with travel plans are looking to simply relax or visit with family and friends. Furthermore, 63 percent of the audience polled shared that they are planning a vacation this year, or are taking a road trip.

This is further backed by industry data that Family Handyman readers are 65 percent more likely to own a second home than the general population and industry research indicates that 7.9 million readers took a domestic trip in the last year.

Planning, Design and Building Phases Brought to Life
Family Handyman's team of editors spent months designing and visually documenting a modern, functional second home from the ground up in the picturesque woods of Northern Wisconsin. The Getaway features informative, easily digestible projects designed to show DIYers how to build their own second homes over the course of a few months or a few years, depending on what pace meets their needs. Each phase is accompanied by a visual component and explanation, including reasons for the specific location, the design and materials, and of course, the actual construction.

To see how the project came to life, plan your own second home project, find hands-on DIY demonstrations or simply inspiration for a current home, more than 100 helpful resources for homeowners including helpful how-to videos are now available online at FamilyHandyman.com including:

Building the Foundation with Top Sponsors
More than 20 sponsors contributed to the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home complete with a basement, a full kitchen and modern furnishings. Unique to a project of this kind, the Family Handyman team installed a glass garage door which opens up to the main living space to show others a smart, innovative way to bridge the outdoor and indoor spaces within a home. The team also built a massive deck space and a walkout basement complete with a path made out of repurposed natural materials leading straight to the lakefront to inspire other homeowners with plans of fishing, swimming and soaking up the natural surroundings.

More information about these participating sponsors can be found on FamilyHandyman.com:

American Standard - Heating & Air Conditioning
Deckorators® - Composite Decking
DR® Power Equipment - Outdoor Power Equipment
Owens Corning - Insulation
RentalHq - Rental Equipment
Ryobi™ - Tools
Wayne Dalton® - Garage Doors

Additional product support was provided by the following partners: Fabick Rents, The Cat® Rental Store (equipment rentals), Daltile (ceramic tiles), Delta Faucet (plumbing fixtures), Hunter Fan Company (ceiling fans), Karran (kitchen sinks), Kichler (lighting), Kwikset (door hardware), LL Flooring (flooring), Nevamar (kitchen countertops), Northern Tool (log splitters), ProWood® (treated lumber), RTA Store (kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closet organizers), Traeger (grills), Vesta / Quality Edge (steel siding) and Werner Ladder (ladders).

Methodology
Family Handyman led a qualitative study, surveying its Inner Circle, an online community of 1,000 Trusted Media Brands brand fans, ages 25-75. The survey was carried out via online questionnaire and fieldwork was undertaken from July 27, 2020 - September 27, 2020.

About Family Handyman and FamilyHandyman.com
Family Handyman is the DIYers best friend, offering a variety of digital and print resources for do-it-yourself homeowners. Our forte is accurate and complete how-to instructions for improving homes, yards and vehicles. Family Handyman is part of Trusted Media Brands, a portfolio of brands including Taste of Home, Reader's Digest, Birds & Blooms and more. Check out Family Handyman on your favorite social app: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest.

About Trusted Media Brands
Trusted Media Brands is a portfolio of brands that reaches nearly 60 million people nationwide to inspire their daily quest for knowledge, skills and joy. As a digital platform of scale, we offer best-in-class insights and data-driven marketing solutions that reach engaged communities across food, home, lifestyle and wellness content. See what's new at Taste of Home, Family Handyman, Reader's Digest, The Healthy and Birds and Blooms.

Media Contacts:
Julia Fennelly, [email protected]
Sammy Williams/Yannina Diaz, [email protected]

SOURCE Family Handyman