Page 108 - enLIGHTenment Magazine - January 2017

2017 housing Trends

Millennials, in

RESOURCES USED FOR IMPROVEMENTS
particular, show a higher

interest in making

upgrades to enhance 70

their personal expression
60
and to increase the

home’s energy 50

e ciency
40

30

20

10

0%

Home Home Friend Online Magazine/ Video
Designer/ Direct mail
A end an Real estate
improvement improvement relative, or resource
books
architect
open house
agent/
retailer
professional/ neighbor
broker

contractors

percent) and nishing the basement (13 percent). nishing basements. Women show a higher pref-

Owners aged 65-75 are more likely to have com- erence for interior redecorating, minor bathroom

pleted a bathroom or kitchen overhaul (36 percent remodeling, and replacing appliances.
and 28 percent, respectively), whereas Millennials Most homeowners (55 percent) rely on a con-

are slightly more likely to have nished their base- tractor or professional when planning and making
ment (16 percent).
home improvements, but they also seek advice

The majority (66 percent) of homeowners inter- from family, friends, and neighbors (52 percent)

viewed said they choose to make improvements plus conduct research via online resources (49
primarily to express their personal style, with few- percent). Roughly 70 percent of those surveyed

er than 1 in 10 (9 percent) making improvements say they use local home improvement retailers in
to bolster resale. Among the style improvements some way.

are interior and exterior painting, ooring replace- Nearly one-third (32 percent) of the Millennial

ment, minor kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and owners typically amassed information from more
general redecorating. Millennials, in particular, than ve resources. The majority went online (71

show a higher interest (78 percent) in making up- percent) or to home improvement stores (69 per-
grades to enhance their personal expression and cent), and 64 percent gathered information from

to increase the home’s energy e ciency.
friends and family or watched videos (61 percent).

When it comes to renovating a home, men and Generation Xers and Baby Boomers were the ones
women di er on the types of projects they’re most who most o en turn to home improvement retail-

likely to tackle. Men show a higher preference ers (73 and 72 percent, respectively) as a source
for major and minor kitchen improvements and
of information.

106 enLIGHTenment Magazine | january 2017
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