Houzz is the “leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device,” according to the website.
Each year the platform releases a report of its findings from its annual “Houzz and Home Survey.” The 2018 results were gathered from 142,259 respondents globally. It focuses on people’s “priorities, plans and budgets” among Houzz users in the U.S. (There’s a separate report for Canadian renovation.)
According to the 8th annual survey, spend in kitchen remodels, the most popular room to renovate, jumped 27 percent in the past year to a median spend of $14,000. This follows a 10 percent increase in median kitchen spend in 2017. Median spend on guest and master bathroom remodels, the second and third most popular rooms to renovate, grew by 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Other important findings include:
Of the 10 highest-spending metros in 2017, seven saw a decline in median spend in 2018.
Use of credit cards to finance home projects continues to rise
4 out of 5 renovating homeowners hired a professional in 2018 (87 percent)
Security upgrades continue to gain popularity, with an average annual growth of 20 percent over the past 3 years
More homeowners choosing to add “smart” devices
What does all this mean for homeowners? For one, it allows you to gauge where you are in your remodeling and decorating plans against others around the country. The information about different markets can help you decide how to get the most bang for your buck.
For those of us in the home products business, it allows us to see what our customers are faced with and how we can best help them in their renovation efforts. Since one of the top renovation challenges reported is funding, it’s great to know we provide products that are both beautiful and affordable, and really liven up a space for very little cost and only a little bit of elbow grease.
What do you think of this report? Let me know in the comments! Be sure to visit our DIY Decor Store Houzz profile here.
Looking for kitchen design ideas for less?
If your kitchen design ideas are plentiful, but your budget isn’t, don’t despair. You can get the look you want without spending a fortune. All it takes is a little elbow grease and creativity.
Consider these 5 ideas:
Do it yourself. When tackling a remodeling project, do as much of the work yourself to save money on contractors. If you’ve never done any kind of demolition work yourself, get some advice from a handy friend or family member. Instead of hiring a general contractor to oversee the job, bring in a consultant for a one-time fee to advise on issues of structural integrity. Tackle smaller, cosmetic jobs like installing a backsplash or switching out hardware.
Save on cabinets. One of the biggest expenses in remodeling a kitchen is cabinetry, which is about 40 percent of your project budget or more. To save money, choose to only replace or refurbish your lowers and switch the uppers to open shelving. Two other options are professional refacing or trying a do-it-yourself coating system.
Reduce, reuse and recycle. You can save a ton of money by using recycled materials. Check out thrift sales, building supply center clearance sales or outlets, and salvaged materials from places like Habitat ReStore. If you’re not doing the work yourself, check with your contractor to make sure he is OK with using recycled materials. Other great places to check for cheaper materials are Craigslist and Freecycle.
Keep your existing footprint. Knocking out walls, moving plumbing or electrical, or putting on an addition all increase the cost of your remodel. If you stay within your same basic footprint, however, you can avoid some of those costs. If you don’t like how your kitchen is laid out, be creative with the space you have.
Use stock materials. Anytime you deviate from standard measurements, costs increase. If you like the look of custom, buy stock cabinetry and then embellish with details if desired. Trim and crown molding go a long way in taking a plain cupboard to something really unique and interesting looking.
Have any unique kitchen design ideas for less of your own? Be sure to share them in the comments section!
The pros and cons of renting vs. owning a home have been argued for ages. I’ve done both throughout my life. From questionable college abodes, to upgrading to my own place as a Single, renting served me well over the years. But there are downsides to renting. For one, you’re fairly limited to the amount of change you can make to the space. If you hate the flooring or paint color, too bad. However, you can do some temporary things, like the suggestions this blogger makes in this recent post.
They’re all very good ideas. I just don’t know if I’m that invested to even make temporary changes, which would then have to be reversed once I decide to move out. We shall see.
The biggest downside to my rental is the cream-colored carpeting. Why on earth would you install such light carpet in a rental? You’re just asking for it. Especially if you have a tenant with a dog that doesn’t always let her know she needs to go out, or a daughter who likes to explore the pond in the back and forgets to take off her mud-covered boots when she comes in. Honestly, my front hall looks like a crime scene. I’ve tried numerous stain removal products and techniques but I can guarantee you that without a thorough steam cleaning before I leave there’s no way I’ll see a dime of my security deposit. In the meantime, I’ll throw a rug over it all and call it good.
Another thing that threatens my security deposit is a recent décor project that the youngest undertook. Like many little girls, she’s a fan of posters, especially those of One Direction or Selena Gomez. After covering the wall with their smiling faces, and being frustrated by the lack of staying power of scotch tape, she took matters into her own hands and turned to a super aggressive duct tape in a snazzy pink and lime green pattern. She creatively framed out each picture in said tape and loved the result for a few weeks. Then she decided she needed new posters and set about removing the duct tape. Well, guess what? Duct tape removes paint quite handily. So one wall of their room looks like something out of a war zone. I’ll deal with that later. Interestingly, I’m not the only person this has happened to.
Anyone else out there have some rental woes or horror stories to share? What are your pros and cons of renting? Let me know in the comments!
