If you’re looking for a grass-roots assessment of the repair and remodel market, consider going where the people most active DIYers are. That is, check out the latest consumer data gathered by Houzz.com in its Renovation in America, Findings from the 2013 Houzz & Home survey. The Web-based home construction and décor platform surveyed more than 73,000 of its U.S.-based users to find that remodeling-savvy homeowners are looking to invest in their kitchens and bathrooms in order to improve their home’s flow and increase its value.
How are homeowners allocating their dollars? Twenty-eight percent of homeowners say they’ll remodel or add another bathroom while 23% say they’ll do the same to their kitchens (see chart).
| Project | Planning in the Next Two Years |
| Bathroom renovation/addition | 28% |
| Kitchen renovation/addition | 23% |
| Flooring/paneling/ceiling replacement | 18% |
| Patio or landscape addition/replacement | 18% |
| Window/doors addition/replacement | 15% |
| Deck/porch addition/replacement | 14% |
| Closet addition or alteration | 12% |
| Bedroom addition or alteration | 11% |
| Living/family room addition or alteration | 10% |
*Source, Renovation in America, Findings from the 2013 Houzz & Home StoryWhere is this activity occurring? Nine in 10 users surveyed living in San Diego, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Detroit, or Washington, D.C., say they plan to decorate or redecorate their home in the next two years. When asked if they’ll remodel or build an addition, 40% to 50% of users surveyed in Portland, Ore.; San Francisco; Santa Barbara, Calif.; Richmond, Va.; or Minneapolis, said they plan to do so in the next two years. The top markets for building a custom home were clustered in the heartland and South with 14% to 16% of homeowners surveyed in Omaha, Neb.; Oklahoma City; Little Rock, Ark.; Houston; or New Orleans, saying they, too, will move on a project in the next two years.
Moving down the list, the next five markets that user responses—43% of whom in all cases—suggest will feature robust remodeling or addition-building activity are Denver; Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego; Boston; and Columbus, Ohio. The next five markets in which users surveyed say they plan to build a custom home are Jackson, Miss., 12%; Austin, Texas, 12%; Portland, Maine, 12%; Birmingham, Ala., 11%; and Dallas, 11%.
The activity is similar across geographies, Houzz found. Homeowners in the West are slightly more concerned with improving the look and layout of their space while Northeasterners are somewhat more concerned with energy efficiency compared to homeowners in other regions.
| Key Motivation for Remodeling | Northeast | South | Midwest | West |
| Improving the look, feel, flow, and layout | 82% | 82% | 83% | 84% |
| Increasing home value | 55% | 53% | 53% | 54% |
| Upgrading features/appliances | 53% | 53% | 50% | 57% |
| Improving organization/storage | 44% | 40% | 41% | 43% |
| Increasing energy efficiency | 38% | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| Incorporating new technologies for the home | 18% | 17% | 16% | 20% |
*Source, Renovation in America, Findings from the 2013 Houzz & Home StoryHouzz found homeowners to be more confident in the residential construction market. Six in 10 are seeking design professionals’ help on projects meant to add value to—as opposed to simply fix—their homes. When asked what kinds of projects they have planned for the coming year, 84% said they’ll decorate or redecorate, 40% said they’ll remodel or build an addition, and 10% expect to build a custom home. In a separate question, more than one-half of respondents said it’s a good time to renovate a home while 75% replied that they think it’s a good time to buy one.
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