Influenced by popular home renovation shows and spurred by boosts in income and equity since the recession, homeowners are spending more than ever on remodeling and improvement projects.
Realtor.com found the most preferred home improvement projects for a series of demographic splits based on the 14 million service requests that HomeAdvisor received over the past year.
Millennials, many of whom are now starting families, are most interested in child-related projects, including installing outdoor play equipment and childproofing measures. Millennials are also concerned about the landscape in the front and back of the house. Gen Xers are also focused on play equipment for kids, but are also eyeing above-ground swimming pools. Baby Boomers desire repairs to their rain gutters, sheds, gazebos, and exterior trim.
In terms of income, households who earn $250,000 or more most desire outdoor repairs to outdoor lighting and copper gutters, and they also want to splurge on tennis and game courts in the backyard. Households who take home less than $75,000 annually want want swamp coolers and carports.
Homeowners across the country definitely have their local climates in mind. Owners in the Northeast focus on their heating system, people in the South want protection from storms, folks in the West need earthquake protection and air cooling systems, and Midwesterners want sump pumps.
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