Did you know that May is National Home Improvement Month?
What home improvement project will you do to celebrate? There are so many that come to mind, such as
- Interior Painting,
- Kitchen Remodel,
- Bathroom Remodel,
- Tile Flooring,
- Laminate or Wood Flooring,
- Quartz Kitchen Countertop,
- Frameless Shower Doors and so much more
Did you know that most homeowners are choosing to personalize their homes with a remodel? According to a recent survey by the National Home Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI), 26 percent of respondents indicated that they are planning to stay in their homes much longer, due to decreased home values.
The recession is no secret to anyone in this economy. In 2010, existing and new single-family home sales decreased 5 percent largely in part due to the recession. However, things seem to be getting brighter. I see more cars in the home improvent retailer parking lots and lots of activity in specialty stores. You can't help but notice all of the increased advertsing by stores like Lowes Home Improvement, Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, Ace Hardware and others on the airwaves. I am impressed with all of the sponsorships and contests these companies are doing to stay front and center in the minds of customers.
I am most impressed with the marketing efforts from Lowes Home Improvement on their "My Lowes"program and advertising campaign "Never Stop Improving". The cute song "Don't Stop" stays in my head and always brings a smile to my face when I hear it. I have not put it on my IPOD, but I was tempted. Sorry that I digress, but the "My Lowes" program has so many positives and is super easy and effective in keeping everything in one place. You create a home profile, manage home improvement projects, track purchase history and more. Although other retailers have online programs, I have not found one as effective comprehensive as the "My Lowes" portal and one with a super clever marketing campaign to promote it.
This brings us to what types of remodel projects homeowners are choosing these days. According to the Home Improvement survey, homeowners are trending towards starting projects such as art rooms, yoga studios, wine cellars and tasing rooms, meditation rooms, exercise pools, caterer kitchens, 3-D Murals and several other interesting projects. In our world, we are finding that our customers are not making outlandish improvements, but rather things that will make them happy while giving the home a modern new look.
I know that It may sound exciting to customize your home in such a unique way and style, however, everything should be done with planning and consideration about the usage of the area. The National President of NARI, Dean Herriges, MCR, CKBR, and Owner of Urban Herriges & Sons in Wisconsin, makes an excellent point when he stated:
“Make sure that whatever your adding is going to be something that you really intend to use, otherwise the space will end up being underutilized and make you unhappy.”
The Home Improvement Survey goes on to show the following results:
- 13 percent responded they had not planned to stay longer in their homes
- 28 percent planned to stay one to five years longer
- 23 percent planned to stay six to 10 years
- 10 percent planned to stay 11 to 15 years longer
- 26 percent planned to stay 16 to 20 years longer.
If you are looking to start your Pompano Beach Home Remodel project, begin your process by writing down your remodel goals and budget for the project. This will help you when you are deep into the project and will help keep you on track.
Click on the following links to read more on this topic:
Homeowners personalize their home rather than move - NARI Survey
Homeowners are choosing to Personalize their Residence – KBB Online
Homeowners Stuck in Place, Remodel - Woodworking Network – Bill Esler
Many Homeowners Decide Remodeling is Wiser than Moving - LA Times – Kenneth R. Harney
Photo Credit: Lowes Home Improvement – My Lowes Commercial -
Disclaimer: I personally Love the "My Lowes" Home Improvement program. I also personally feel that their marketing and advertising team have created an outstanding advertsing campaign.
