Single Story Homes Are Gaining Popularity

That single-story home may be more desirable than it once was. The construction of single-story homes is increasing at a more rapid pace than two-story homes, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

While overall the share of starts of homes of two-plus stories was higher than single-story homes in 2018, the two-story percentage is shrinking while one-story construction is growing. The share of new homes started with two or more stories dropped from 55% in 2017 to 53% in 2018. However, the share of new homes with a single-story increased from 45% to 47%, the data shows.

The growth of single-story homes was most pronounced in the South, the National Association of Home Builders’ analysis of the data shows.

© National Association of Home Builders

A separate report from the real estate brokerage Redfin showed single-story or ranch homes were the most popular home style of home sold last year. The style also tended to be more affordable, they noted.

The preference of a single-story home rises with age, a recent survey of home buyers by the NAHB shows. Eighty percent of baby boomers say they prefer a single-story home so that they can more easily age in place. However, only 35% of millennials say they want a single-story home.

“Homes with one story are more common in non-metro areas, while two or more stories homes are common in metro areas,” the NAHB notes on its blog, Eye on Housing. “However, we experienced an increasing share of one-story homes in both metro and non-metro areas from 2017 to 2018.”
 

Source: 

“Single-Story Home Construction Increased in 2018,” National Association of Home Builders’ Eye on Housing (Sept. 30, 2019)

Why Renovations May Not Boost Your Sale

As modest increases in inventory begin to attract more buyers to the market, it may seem wise for your sellers to undertake renovation projects to boost their competitive edge. Kitchen and bathroom upgrades, for example, are among buyers’ most desired features and can fetch a handsome return on investment, according to the National Association of Home Builders. But even as remodeling demand rises—the NAHB predicts home improvement activity will jump 1.6% and 1.1% in 2019 and 2020, respectively—some real estate professionals aren’t sold on the idea that renovating always fast-tracks a home sale.
There are two types of homes that sell quickly in today’s market: fixer-uppers and completely renovated properties, says Blayne Pacelli, a sales associate with Rodeo Realty in Studio City, Calif. You’ll need to pay attention to local market dynamics to determine the salability of each type of home in your area. For example, if your market has an abundance of investors, who typically renovate anyway for flips or rental properties, your sellers may not need to upgrade their homes in order to sell. Traditional buyers, however, may want a move-in–ready property.

NAR’s 2019 Remodeling Impact Report
Homeowners and renters remodel, redesign, and restructure their home for a variety of reasons. This report takes a deep dive into the differences between remodeling when hiring a professional compared to individuals who “do it yourself.”

In the Los Angeles neighborhood where Pacelli works, investors and traditional buyers are both aplenty. His renovation advice to clients depends on each one’s situation. “If a house is already fixed up except, say, one bathroom, I would suggest updating that bathroom to [appeal to a wide market],” he says. “If the bathrooms and kitchen need updating, I would leave them as is” and market the home to investors.

Weighing Your Options

There’s no doubt that home improvement increases property values, but renovating can be expensive—and there’s no guarantee your clients will recoup all of the costs at resale. With that in mind, you must help your clients decide: Is the expense of remodeling worth it? Small improvements rather than large-scale projects may suffice. “Timing matters as does the cost to renovate,” says Elisa Uribe, a sales associate with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty in Oakland, Calif. “It is a seller’s market in our area. In some cases, minor changes such as interior and exterior painting and updating the landscaping can add a lot of curb appeal and make the house more appealing to a buyer.”
Uribe has also used virtual staging to present renovation options to buyers, relieving her seller of having to do the work. In March, she sold a client’s unrenovated three-bedroom, one-bathroom home, built in 1910, at the list price of $564,000. The sale occurred even though the seller had not updated the property’s exterior siding, windows, landscaping, and hardwood floor finishes.
The buyer was attracted to Uribe’s virtual staging of the home, which showed what it would look like with the updates and new furniture. Uribe also virtually staged the home’s layout with an additional bathroom to show buyers the renovation possibilities. “My client was out of state and didn’t have the time, or the funds, to update the house himself,” Uribe says. “The buyer was an investor who planned to update the property and put it back on the market fully renovated.”

Less Is More

Sometimes, some form of home improvement is necessary to elevate the profile of an otherwise undesirable property. In these cases, it may be best to choose simple projects with big impact, such as refreshing the paint or hardwood finish. James McGrath, co-founder of Yoreevo LLC in New York, says one of his buyers recently closed on a condo that had been extensively renovated. The seller, an interior designer, saved money by designing the remodeling projects herself, but she still spent $100,000 on the actual work, which included gutting the kitchen and bathroom among other changes, McGrath says. “If it’s not the highest price per square foot in the building’s history, it’ll be pretty close,” he says of the deal.
The renovated unit received a lot of foot traffic, with 60 to 70 showings. “That being said, the owner won’t make money on the renovation,” McGrath says. Though the renovation generated a higher price for the condo—which McGrath’s client bought for $690,000— it wasn’t enough to cover the seller’s remodeling costs, he adds. This is an example of why McGrath suggests that homeowners avoid big projects prior to selling.
Another renovation con: While the improvements may be a hit with some buyers, others may have different preferences and won’t pay a higher price for the work that was done. In fact, McGrath’s buyer brought in his own contractor because he wanted to replace the tile in the kitchen and backroom. Though the tiles were new and in pristine condition, the buyer had a different vision for the space, McGrath says. “Presumably, the seller would have gotten the same offer from [my buyer] had she not spent thousands of dollars on those tiles.”

Protect Clients’ Bottom Lines

You can help keep your sellers on budget by reminding them that “restoring the home to a good state of repair” is all that’s necessary before listing, says Michael Edlen, SFR, a sales associate at Coldwell Banker Pacific Palisades in Pacific Palisades, Calif. But that may mean something different in each market. In areas where buyers have the advantage, a seller may need to do more work on his or her home. “If an owner does not perform basic repairs, many buyers tend to ‘horribilize’ what they think they see and how much it could cost to fix it.”
If your client’s home needs an overall update, focus on the smallest items that have the biggest impact first and test it on the market before deciding to invest in larger projects. Updated light fixtures and window treatments, which are eye-catching accents, are often enough to move buyers, says Dawn Levy, a sales associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties in Atlanta. If your clients want to take it a step further, they can install new energy efficient windows, which can be costly but is a huge selling point with buyers, Levy adds. “A home with good bones that needs a cosmetic facelift is much more appealing to buyers,” she says. “Price point also plays a role here.”
Of course, the value of any renovation depends on your market. What works in one area may not work in another, so you must be knowledgeable about your specific neighborhood. In New York, for example, condos and townhomes that aren’t completely renovated typically don’t get much attention from buyers, says Eric Rosen, a broker with Halstead Manhattan LLC. “If the apartment or townhouse requires work, then the seller would be penalized,” he says. “This means that the property will trade for less than the repairs would have netted in a sale.”

Source: Realtor® Magazine;

Danielle Braff

Danielle Braff is a freelance writer, living in Chicago with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a dog. Learn more about her at DanielleBraff.com.

Most Wanted Home Features You May Grow to Hate

When you go house hunting, you've got a list of must-haves, including some features that you think you'd just love. But beware: As real-life homeowners have found, some of those most-wanted things will actually drive you crazy.

Just like dating, we all go into home shopping with a list of things we'd really like in order to settle down. So when you find a place that ticks all of the boxes—or at least most of them—it’s all too easy to get googly eyes and fall hard.
But the truth is—just like in romance—some of the things you think you want will actually end up driving you crazy.

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––

Open floor plans have long been at the top of everyone’s wish list. But what’s it like to actually live in a house with one? To some people, it's a bit like living in a large echo chamber.“Sounds are multiplied in an open floor plan; they don't offer sound protection,” says Laura Mineff, a Cleveland-based interior designer and owner of Array Design Studio.

There’s also a little thing called privacy to take into consideration. If you live with moody teenagers or several young kids, an open floor plan might mean nobody gets the space they need. It also might mean that a toilet flushing upstairs can be heard all the way downstairs in your living room.
“You'll need rugs and window panels to help absorb the sound, as well as tall dimensional artwork and plants to help fill in the space,” Mineff says. “Creating a warm, cozy atmosphere in a vast, open living space can be costly.”

2. An upstairs laundry room

An upstairs laundry room sounds like the dream, doesn't it? So convenient—no more unsolicited cardio as you lug piles of linens up and down the stairs.
But beware: This dream scenario can quickly turn into a noisy nightmare.
“People think that laundry rooms being near the bedrooms will be practical, since most of the laundry is generated in the bedrooms,” explains Leslie Saul, designer and owner of Leslie Saul & Associates. “Some laundry rooms are so noisy that we end up rebuilding them or moving them to the first floor or basement.”

3. An in-ground pool

Before you sign your name on the dotted line of a home purchase contract, save yourself some heartache and remorse: Take a minute to browse our list of buyers’ most-wanted features—or, more specifically, the ones they wanted but end up hating later on. Are any on your wish list?

An Open Floor Plan:

Open floor plans have long been at the top of everyone’s wish list. But what’s it like to actually live in a house with one? To some people, it's a bit like living in a large echo chamber.
“Sounds are multiplied in an open floor plan; they don't offer sound protection,” says Laura Mineff a Cleveland-based interior designer and owner of Array Design Studio.

There’s also a little thing called privacy to take into consideration. If you live with moody teenagers or several young kids, an open floor plan might mean nobody gets the space they need. It also might mean that a toilet flushing upstairs can be heard all the way downstairs in your living room.
“You'll need rugs and window panels to help absorb the sound, as well as tall dimensional artwork and plants to help fill in the space,” Mineff says. “Creating a warm, cozy atmosphere in a vast, open living space can be costly.”

An Upstairs Laundry Room:

An upstairs laundry room sounds like the dream, doesn't it? So convenient—no more unsolicited cardio as you lug piles of linens up and down the stairs.
But beware: This dream scenario can quickly turn into a noisy nightmare.
“People think that laundry rooms being near the bedrooms will be practical, since most of the laundry is generated in the bedrooms,” explains Leslie Saul, designer and owner of Leslie Saul & Associates. “Some laundry rooms are so noisy that we end up rebuilding them or moving them to the first floor or basement".


An In-Ground Swimming Pool:

Pools are great, and for many buyers, a true must-have. But they can also be money pits, and difficult to maintain if you don’t have the budget.
“The features that some of our clients end up hating are the ones that require a lot of maintenance,” Saul says. “The wealthier clients can afford to hire pool maintenance companies, so they tend to continue to love them. But the less wealthy find that all of their free time goes to home maintenance projects, instead of spending time with their kids—the very reason they wanted the pool to begin with.” Whoa, ironic!
So before you commit to a house with a large pool, make sure you have the resources (and interest) in maintaining it. Because the only thing worse than no pool is a dirty, neglected one.

A Half Bath on Main Level:

Having a bathroom that’s readily available for guests might sound ideal, but in practice it’s unlikely to see much use, according to Ian Gordan, co-principal broker of Seattle-based Coldwell Banker Bain.
“When you have people over,” he explains, “who wants to use the powder room right off the kitchen and dining room? Sorry, nope. People usually go downstairs or upstairs to use the more private baths.”
If your dream home has a half-bathroom downstairs, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t buy the house—just maybe skip the expensive tile remodel you had in mind.

Designer Sinks:

Pedestal sinks, bowl sinks, vessel sinks, you name it—they’ll make your bathroom look très chic. But once you have one, we’d bet you’ll be singing another tune.
“In home design magazines, [bowl sinks] look like the height of luxury,” says Jennifer Harder, founder and CEO of Jennifer Harder Mortgage Brokers. “However, when you need to actually use the sink, it is incredibly awkward. The height of the bowl makes them uncomfortable to use, and they use up valuable counter space.”
And although pedestal sinks look pretty and petite, they won’t be quite so charming once your cleaning products have to live out in the open for lack of storage.
“If someone is buying a house with these in the primary bathroom,” Harder says, “I gently encourage them to consider a bathroom remodel.”

Hardwood Flooring:

Although everyone loves a good hardwood floor (especially in those places that usually have ugly carpeting), there are simply some rooms in the home that weren’t meant for unfinished wood floors, says Daniel Meyer, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco–based home renovation company Pocketdoor.
Chiefly? Kitchens and bathrooms.
“Many finishes look great but cannot handle everyday life for buyers,” he explains. “Especially those with young children. In the best-case scenario, they catch the issue and refinish the floors before spills or water become stains that become permanent. In other cases, people are investing in new flooring.”
So when you ask your real estate agent for a home with hardwood flooring, make sure they have the proper finish and that you're not buying a home that might have you replacing the floors before you ever get to enjoy them.

 

 

Make Sure Your Property Isn’t Getting Eaten Up

A termite infestation can be costly, and sadly, many homeowners don’t discover there’s a problem until these wood-eating pests have already caused a great deal of damage to a home or an inspection uncovers it during a home sale.

“Termites are referred to as the hidden enemy,” says Mike Duncan, an associate certified entomologist and eastern region trainer for Truly Nolen, a pest control company. The damage can reach $7,900 or more before they’re found, Duncan told realtor.com®.

Some homeowners may be unknowingly attracting termites to their homes. An article at realtor.com® recently flagged some ways owners may be creating a termite spot, beyond just rotting wood.

For example, even the tiniest bit of moisture, such as from poor drainage, leaks, or poor ventilation, along with wood can be a big draw for termites. “Because they consume the cellulose in wood for nutrition, they require high moisture so that they don’t dry out,” Natasha Wright, a board-certified entomologist and technical director for Braman Termite & Pest Elimination in southern New England, told realtor.com®. Soggy soil near your foundation can also be a big draw to termites.

Don’t assume stucco houses are safe either. Termites are drawn to the protection from foam board insulation and exterior wall solutions, like Dryvit, a synthetic version of cement siding, Wright says. “They will chew through and travel in these sheltered areas until they stumble upon wood,” Wright says.

Cracks in a foundation can be another way termites can enter. “Should they find cracks or gaps, termites may investigate and enter,” says Mike Deutsch, an urban entomologist for Arrow Exterminating Co. in New York. “They may eventually intercept wooden members of the structure and begin to feed, causing damage.”

Be on the lookout for mud tubes, soft or hollow-sounding wood, and visible piles of wings, experts say. “These are signs that you have a termite problem,” says Erin Richardson, president of All-American Pest Control in Nashville, Tenn.

Call in a professional to investigate further and to remedy the situation if you suspect termite problems.

Source: 

“Knock on Wood: 8 Surprising Things Attracting Termites to Your Home,” realtor.com® (June 11, 2019)

Buy Before You Sell

In today’s competitive real estate market, you may be worried about listing your home. You may be thinking; if it sells quickly, you won’t have enough time to find and buy the next home that’s right for you.
At Howard Hanna, we strive to make the home buying and selling process simple for you. Our one-stop shopping is convenient for everyone, including sellers who are also looking to buy.

Buy Before You Sell

When you list a home with Howard Hanna, one of our exclusive one-stop shopping programs available is “Buy Before You Sell,” which lets you take the equity in your current home and apply it towards the down payment of a new home. It’s among our most popular programs because enrollment can be renewed if needed and initially includes deferred interest payments. By using the “Buy Before You Sell” program, you can use the value of your current home to invest in your preferred home!

Advantages of our Buy Before You Sell program:

1. You can purchase a home without having to wait until your present property is sold.
2. You can take advantage of today’s low mortgage interest rates and potentially get better terms for the home you are buying.
3. You can move without worrying about the logistical issues of moving out of one property and into the new one on the same day.
4. Once you’ve found your new home, the home you are selling can be staged without having to overly disrupt your life.
5. We can also more easily show potential buyers your home, allowing more buyers to see your home than if you were still living in it.
6. Our program produces more buyers who can buy your home by removing the sales contingency.

Buy with confidence.

It’s important to be able to buy with confidence, even before a current home is sold. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to upgrade, right-size, switch school districts, or just enjoy a change of scenery, our “Buy Before You Sell” program covers it all!

• Our program provides down payment funds for your next home purchase
• Our program eliminates home sale contingency
• Payments can be deferred for qualified buyers

We’ve been taking the hassle out of the home buying and selling process for decades, and our mortgage professionals are here to help explain our loan programs. We make home ownership accessible and affordable, allowing you to take advantage of today’s low interest rates.
Don’t wait to act on the home you want, buy before you sell!

***Contact me in order to speak to a Howard Hanna Mortgage loan officer!

Source: Howard Hanna Blog

Don’t Count on a Price Drop to Reignite a Listing

Home buyers who want to test the market by listing their home for a higher price may want to rethink that strategy. Homes get 3.4 times more online views the day they are listed than they do the day the seller drops the price, a new analysis from the real estate brokerage Redfin finds.

“It’s critical to price your home to sell from the start,” says Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “Fair or not, buyers judge a home by how many days it has been on the market. A home that has been on the market for more than a few weeks has a scarlet letter on it, and buyers will wonder why no one else wanted to buy it. Dropping the price can help get your home onto the radar of some buyers who are searching for homes priced just below the original price, but you likely won’t be able to regain the appeal of a newly listed home.”

Researchers found that a typical home for sale that is viewed by 100 buyers online on its first day receives a fraction of that after 30 days on the market, averaging only 17 views per day at that point. When the seller drops the price, that will lift the views only slightly to 29—and that increase will last only for a single day, researchers find. Then the home’s views fall back to an average of 18 per day.

Online views of homes for sale drop off significantly after the first day. Home sellers receive half as many visits on day two and then just a quarter as many after a week listed on the market, the analysis found.

Source: Redfin (May 24, 2019)

Water Back Up

Recent high amounts of rain fall – What is Water Back Up Coverage - Water back up and sump pump failure coverage is an endorsement to the homeowner insurance policy that provides coverage to property damaged by water that backs up into the home through pipes, drains, sewer, water-service, sump pump and any other type of fluid transfer system from the house. Find out why you need water back up coverage!

https://www.grangeinsurance.com/tips/4-reasons-to-add-water-backup-coverage

Source: Martin Lark Insurance Newsletter 5/22/2019

How to Make Low Ceilings Appear to be Higher

It can be difficult to lend the illusion of more space to a home with low ceilings. A recent article at Houzz from columnist Becky Harris explains how you can make low ceilings appear higher.

© Lourdes Gabriela Interiors 

Use High-Gloss Paint to Your Advantage

Painting the ceiling a glossy white will allow the room to reflect more light, making it appear more spacious that it really is. Interior designer Lourdes Gabriela used glossy white ceilings in a Florida condo that, she said, was suffering from “oppressively low” ceilings. The short height of the ceilings was exacerbated by low-hanging track lights and short louvered doors. After giving the ceiling a glossy paint finish, Gabriela also used a flush-mount chandelier over the dining table to help lift the perception of the ceiling.

© MainStreet Design Build 

Emphasize Long Horizontal Planes

Using horizontal design elements can actually lift the vertical parts of a room. It also distracts the eye from looking up. Designers with MainStreet Design Build used long horizontal display shelves on the walls in the kitchen to “draw the eye to the long horizontal planes and the objects on them,” Harris notes. The shelves command attention and lead people to notice the expanse of the wall instead of the challenges of a short ceiling. “The generous amount of white space between the top shelf and the ceiling makes the ceiling seem higher,” Harris writes.

© Carl Mattison 

Add Some Millwork

Floor-to-ceiling millwork not only gives a space an eye-catching design element but also can be used to lift the ceiling, too. Designer Carl Mattison added wall paneling to the open-concept dining space in an Atlanta cottage. “Seeing so many stacked squares lends the illusion of height,” Harris writes. “Painting the millwork and adjacent kitchen cabinets the same color keeps the room from feeling chopped up.”

Height isn’t the only reason to consider design elements that can showcase the ceiling in a different light. There are plenty of stylish ways to showcase the ceiling as a means of adding more depth to a room or more pizzazz to a home that may be lacking eye-catching qualities.

Source: Realtor®Magazine: 

“7 Ways to Make Low Ceilings Seem Higher,” Houzz (May 2, 2019)

Lucas County Officials Brace for Complaints on Property Values

Lucas County officials are bracing for a busy year of residents challenging their new property values, in part because Auditor Anita Lopez is advocating for taxpayers to do so.
The county’s Board of Revision — comprised of Treasurer Lindsay Webb, Commissioner Pete Gerken, and the auditor — annually review property value complaints and determine whether they warrant a change.

The board has heard between 1,473 and 3,463 cases each year over the past nine, with an annual average of about 2,100.

But the auditor said during a Jan. 14 meeting she believes this year will be different and anticipates the board could see five times as many complaints — or roughly 10,000 — largely stemming from a dispute between her office and the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Unhappy with a resolution between her office and the state over property value increases, Ms. Lopez took out a full-page advertisement in The Blade to let property owners know they can file a complaint. She is also speaking on the topic at business organizations and community meetings throughout the month.

“We want people to have fair and equitable values,” she said.
Mr. Gerken said the auditor is actively advocating that people contest their new values.
“Where every other website in the state says ‘board of revision’ our website says ‘challenge your property values,’” he said. “You are actually recruiting challenges.”

The auditor’s office has already recorded 540 complaints, 490 of which were concerning residential properties. Ms. Lopez said she believes the trend will continue until the April 1 deadline to file.
“If there is some indication that there are now 10,000 cases rather than 2,000 cases, we need to plan for that and be consistent,” Mr. Gerken said.

The 2018 revaluation process fell on a sexennial reappraisal year, which means the auditor’s office had to reappraise all property in the county and have the new aggregate values signed off on by the state’s tax commissioner.

Ms. Lopez and the tax commissioner agreed the housing market had improved, but they disagreed on how much the aggregate values should rise.

For example, state officials wanted to see Sylvania’s values grow by 14.3 percent, but Ms. Lopez believed they should only rise by 9.76 percent. The discrepancies continued for each of the county’s 22 municipalities, with the gap between the auditor’s value increases and the state’s ranging from less than 1 percent to 6.6 percent.

The back and forth between Lucas County and the state culminated in an official order from the tax commissioner telling Ms. Lopez to raise property values or risk losing state funding, something Department of Taxation officials said they haven’t done in 25 years.

The auditor pushed back, and the two parties eventually reached a compromise that collectively increased values 9 percent countywide, though some municipalities’ values went up by 12 percent while others only grew by 2 or 3 percent.

Ms. Lopez said she wasn’t happy with the resolution, but she reluctantly accepted because she knew that she could encourage residents to challenge their new values come January.
The first-half tax bill is what typically motivates homeowners to contest their new values, Ms. Lopez said.

Although aggregate values may have increased countywide, some property owners will see a decrease in their tax bill if their home’s valuation goes up by an amount less than the aggregate. This is because of a state property tax law in place to protect homeowners from inflation and likely would deter people from filing a complaint.

Mr. Gerken said he’d like to see all board of revision complaints heard and decided by June 1, ahead of the second-half tax bill. Ms. Lopez said she can try, adding cases typically take until October or November to clear.

The board decided to schedule hearings from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for now and add hearing days if the caseload doesn’t let up.
The board of revision is set to meet again Jan. 28.

Source:  By Sarah Elms / The Blade

No Cost Staging Tips

You may not have the extra funds to stage a property, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can still spruce it up. Some of the biggest staging moves can be free. Beyond decluttering and depersonalizing the property, realtor.com® recently highlighted several ideas, including:

1. Remove any extra storage.
“Eliminate any plastic storage bins, over-the-door storage, above-cabinet storage, and extra racks in rooms,” Julie Chrissis with Chrissis & Company Interiors told realtor.com®. “This is important because buyers never want to think they will outgrow a home. A seller’s job is to show them there is plenty of storage space for them to grow into.”

2. Tweak the furniture layout.
Pay attention to how the furniture is placed in the room and its flow. Remove furniture that makes the space look too cluttered. “Room layouts should be set up for photos first,” Chrissis says. “It’s important that the photo not be of the back of a sofa, large chair, or other pieces of furniture, as this makes the room look smaller because it blocks the view of part of the room. The same goes for open houses and showings. If buyers see a room with furniture barriers, it makes the room seem smaller.”

3. Lighten up the mood.
“You want natural light and lamps with warm light—no swirly bulbs that look like office light,” says Chrissis. “We tell most of our clients to remove valances as they typically make a room darker and, in most markets, are a little out of fashion. Lamps are important, especially in winter months when there is less sun and sunset is earlier.”

Read the full list of “free” staging tips at realtor.com®.

Homeowners Aren't Shy When It Comes to DIY

Many homeowners are attracted to do-it-yourself home projects, particularly members of younger generations, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ “2019 Remodeling Impact Report: DIY". In fact, homeowners may even be happier when they DIY than when they hire a professional to handle a project.

Homeowners reported a “joy score” of 9.9 for projects they do themselves (joy scores range from 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater joy). Projects completed by professionals rate slightly below, with a 9.6 joy score. Homeowners who take on projects themselves report a greater sense of accomplishment with a finished project, too.

The top reason homeowners who participated in the survey cited for undertaking a DIY project is increasing the functionality and livability of the home. That's followed by increasing the home’s aesthetics or adding durable, long-lasting materials and appliances, the survey found.

“One of the pleasures of homeownership is the ability to take on projects to customize a house that truly make it your own,” says John Smaby, NAR’s president.

Nearly three-fourths of Generation Y and millennials, as well as more than half of Generation X and baby boomers, choose to do DIY home projects.

Consumers are more likely to take on a DIY project for a pet than to undertake a general home project on their own, according to the survey. The most popular pet-driven renovations were fence and laminate floor installation, and the addition of dog doors.

Source: National Association of REALTORS(R) (Jan. 3, 2019) - 2019 Remodeling Impact Report