That headline won’t surprise many homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially in Marin. During the pandemic our perspectives shifted radically on what a home should offer. Four bedrooms, three baths and a family room suddenly felt cramped. Where could the home office go? Um, make that two home offices, a classroom for the children and a better kitchen for all the cooking. With everyone sheltering-in-place, and housing stock at a premium, and job security a slippery slope, moving just didn’t make sense for many families. What to do? Renovations and remodeling became a solid option.
According to a 2022 study conducted by Houzz, in 2021, these two options rose to their highest activity levels since 2018.
A larger share of homeowners (55%) tackled a home renovation project — including kitchen and bathroom remodels — in 2021 compared with previous years (53% in 2020, 54% in 2019 and 54% in 2018).
Home decorating projects increased as well.
Activity levels are high, which might be due, in part, to the fact that homeowners decided to address several issues at once. Rather than simply renovating or updating their kitchen, they believed it would be a good time to change the configuration of their kitchen, other rooms, perhaps to make space for a home office or a room for the children to study in.
You might think that homeowners who’ve lived in their homes longer would be more likely to make changes, but the opposite was true, according to Houzz. Newer homeowners spent more. The breakdown showed:
- 10% were recent homebuyers (less than a year) whose median spend per household was $30,000, and the 90th percentile spend was $100,000.
- The second largest group were short-term homeowners (1-5 years) whose median spend was $19,000 and 90th percentile spend was $85,000.
- The largest group were long-term homeowners (5+ years) whose median spend was $15,000 and 90th percentile spend was $80,000.
Lothario Jason Lotho, of Fondare Finish Construction, serving Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco counties, has definitely seen an increase in renovation and remodeling projects. He said, “Many homeowners have found the new meaning of home. So, they are trying to make their spaces more useful and tailored to their current needs.”
He indicated that he’s seen a fifty-fifty split between recent homebuyers and people who’ve lived in their homes for a long time and are going through life transitions, like empty nesters or those entering retirement. He noted that a number of recent homebuyers were families relocating from big cities like San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia or LA, to Marin and Sonoma counties because they wanted more space.
If you’ve tried getting in touch with a contractor, plumber or electrician of late, you’ll know the renovation and remodeling trends continue.
Lotho agreed, “I get three calls a day about projects. I do see the trend continuing, because I haven’t seen a lot of new housing being built in Marin and Sonoma. A lot of the homes we work on were built in the 50s, 60s and 70s. The other trend that is having an impact is the lack of skilled labor in the trades. That is a concern for the future, too.”
He presents twice a year to the NextGen Trades Academy, a program of the Lime Foundation in Santa Rosa. They train and help students find gainful employment in the trades fields and provide a workforce for local contractors. Fondare Finish Construction will be working with a NextGen Trades Academy apprentice this year.
Fondare Finish Construction is one of the trusted firms AplosGroup partners with through the design–build process. Along with our partners, AplosGroup also experienced an increase in projects, signing more projects in the first quarter of the year than for all of the prior year. Many of the projects were for long-term homeowners with newish equity in the house who were staying home a lot.
If you are seeing your home from a new perspective and want to explore design possibilities, we can help you visualize your dreams.