Few of us can say we haven’t thought about potential home renovations lately. And by lately, we mean since the onset of the pandemic.
With more time at home (and more time on our hands), we discovered how to be creative with our furniture and art, and then started making more major changes at home.
Home renovation spending grew by 5% ”to a median $21,000, from $20,000 in 2019”, and it’s not about to stop. According to the 2021 Houzz & Home report, almost half of all homeowners across the country are going to renovate this year.
So how has the pandemic affected the way we renovate? Let’s explore the most popular renovations we’ve seen.
Kitchen renovations
Here, we see that a lot of home renovations were centred around the kitchen and understandably so—cooking and experimenting in the kitchen became a popular creative outlet.
Within the kitchen renovations, more than half of the homeowners say they changed their layout, with two in five increasing the size of the actual kitchen.
Pro tip: Design walkways that are large enough to pass through ie: 90 centimetres wide. It might be a smaller adjustment but it has a big impact on the time spent in your kitchen.
Outdoor sprucing up
Nearly three in five owners started preparing for outdoor renovations like buying beds and deck chairs, as well as bigger upgrades like porches and balconies.
Pro tip: Know what you want to do with the space before getting started. It can be super tempting to create a beautiful entertaining area, but if your dog is the only one who’s going to use it, it won’t be the best use of the space.
A cosy home office
What’s a major change brought on by the pandemic? The arrival and elevation of the home office, of course! There was more demand for home renovations to include an office space and even got 10% more costly than in 2020 ($1,100).
Guess which small space at home also got some renovation attention? Closets. The median spend on cabinetry increased about 43% to $1,100.
Pro tip: Check out our tips on building a home office for cheap. If you don’t have a room to call your home office, fret not. Try sectioning off that part of your home with a curtain or screen. That way, when you unplug, you can truly relax.
Smart home solutions
From televisions to streaming subscriptions like Apple TV, the home technology definitely got an upgrade last year. But many homeowners took it a step further with smart home devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Alongside the entertainment, security lights and cameras also got more popular.
Pro tip: When looking for a smart home device, think about what you’ll use it for. Each device has its own forté, like a voice assistant or sound, so bear in mind what its main purpose will be.
So why did it take us so long to do all these renovations?
Many respondents to the survey said they’d be wanting to make the changes all along but never had the time.
Another common reason for renovating last year was finally having the financial means. Whatever your reason for renovating your home, know that you can find resources on budgeting and renovating to increase your home’s value in Soho’s articles.
Keep yourself updated with useful tips like these by getting registered on Soho. Not only are we finding you your dream home, but we’re also helping you save for it and decorate it! So don’t forget to swipe on your property matches so we can get you there faster.
