Monday, November 11, 2019

Remodelling & Home Improvement Up 50% Since 2010


11/11/19 Remodeling Stats and Spending Trends to Inform Your Improvement Plans
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Thinking about remodeling? You're not alone. According to a report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, home improvement spending in the U.S. is up more than 50% since 2010.

Floor installation The study found that, "Spending on improvements and repairs to the US housing stock continued on an upward trend in 2017, setting a new high of $424 billion. This represents a 10% increase from 2015 and more than 50% gain from the low in 2010." According to their analysis, 22 million homeowners across the country completed at least one home improvement project in 2017.


"The report[…] attributed part of the increase to a shortage of new construction and a reliance on aging housing stock that requires upkeep and repair," said the New York Times. "Other factors include higher housing prices that have increased the available equity for home improvement loans, and a growing population of older homeowners who are financially equipped to pay for renovations."

The primary "spenders" fall into three main categories: Homeowners using surging equity to make improvements, homeowners playing catch-up on deferred maintenance and updates, and rental property owners.

The average expenditure on home improvement was rather modest; 40% of participants reported spending less than $2,500, and almost 75% spent less than $10,000.

Most common improvements

The most common project in 2017 was adding or replacing flooring, with 5.2 million homeowners, or 7%, upgrading their floors. The next most common projects were:
  • Adding or replacing plumbing fixtures
  • Built-in dishwashers or garbage disposals
  • New windows or doors
  • New water heaters

Friday, November 8, 2019

Working our Magic on Your Walls & Ceilings


Eduardo using hand-held light to highlight any imperfections while he works
Mark applying 'smooth-wall' texture to old splatter-textured ceiling
11/08/19 - Gotta give credit where credit is due. One of the most respected services we offer is the texturing & retexturing of a home's sheetrock walls and ceilings. Our team of Mark (with Cypress now 24 years!) and Eduardo (with us 7 years now) are the best in town, as recognized by our satisfied clients *and* other contractors. 

Left side - old texture / Right side - new 'smooth-wall' texture
Yes, they’re tradesmen that get the job done, but they’re artists as well with an attention to detail and old-school work ethic not often found in this day and age. Often called on to make small patches from a plumbing or electrical repair, lately we have increasingly been taking on whole-house re-texturing jobs – turning old, textured walls and ceilings into pristine, clean and modern looking living spaces.

My hat’s off to you, Mark and Eduardo!