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!
Popcorn ceilings were all the rage years ago. But they fell out of favor in the 1980s, just like Harvest Gold and Avocado Green appliances. If your home features a popcorn ceiling and you want to get rid of it, the good news is that although it’s a messy task, it’s not a difficult job. This article gives you an idea of how to remove popcorn ceilings.
Before you get started, you’ll need to check and see if the popcorn contains asbestos. If the popcorn was added before 1979, it likely does. To find out, wet a small area and scrape into a plastic bag and take it to get tested. Or have a pro come to your home and test it.
If it’s asbestos free, you can do the job yourself.
Here’s how to remove a popcorn ceiling:
Use a drop cloth or plastic sheeting to completely cover the floor. Put a fan in the window for ventilation. If you don’t have a window, place the fan on the floor but don’t aim it toward the ceiling.
Use a portable hand sprayer to spray down small portions of the ceiling, about a 3’x3’ area. Let the liquid soak in and reapply if it gets dry but don’t get it too wet or it will damage the drywall.
Scrape using a ceiling texture scraper which contains a handy bag to catch falling debris to remove the popcorn. If you don’t have that, a putty scraper will do the trick, but you’ll have to clean up the floor when you’re finished.
When all the texture has been removed, sand the ceiling to ensure smoothness. If it appears to be in good shape, simply prime and paint for that finished look. If that’s not the case, you may need to apply joint compound and a skim coat.
Of course, if you want to avoid the task altogether, you can cover the ceiling with a ceiling product. Choose a decorative option like Fasade faux tin panels or a real tin ceiling like Great Lakes Tin Ceiling panels. Or install a grid system with lay-in panels. You don’t have to live with an ugly popcorn ceiling and fixing the eyesore is easier than you think.
What do you think of popcorn ceilings? Have a unique removal method of your own? Let us know in the comments!
