Home Remodeling Rebounding
$19 billion was spent on home improvement projects in 2013. The home remodeling industry is seeing a rebound after the recession.
Experts say since most people are not buying or selling, homeowners are taking on remodeling projects to improve what they’ve already got.
“Oh my goodness yeah,” said Chris King who works at Ace Hardware in Ammon.
Monday afternoon many people were in the store shopping for small home improvement projects.
Paint was one of the busiest department. “It brightens up and warms up so when you walk into it, it’s a great new experience,” said King.
He said it’s one inexpensive way to experiment.
“For a 100 dollars you can certainly change it again and change the whole mood again,” said King.
In a recovering economy, King said people aren’t taking on massive projects like pre-recession days.
According to Nielson & Scarborough, the top projects home owners are taking on include carpeting and flooring, landscaping, heating and air, interior painting, or small kitchen projects.
At Ace Hardware, King said that’s right on with what he sees.
“Building a deck, it’s one of the other things besides paint when you invest in it, you see a return on your investment,” said King.
He said this summer his customers have been making small changes to the exterior of the home, which makes a big difference.
“Patio furniture, we saw a lot of lawn care, the umbrellas to go along with the other furniture that they have,” said King.
King added that people often wait to make changes.
“A lot of times we don’t spruce our houses up until we like sell them,” said King.
Before the market returns to pre-recession days, working with what people have has become the new way of life for many people.
“The market isn’t such that you’re selling a house really fast, but you can change the way it feels, and that’s an important part,” said King.
He added the other big remodeling project homeowners are doing is changing small things in the bathroom, like new tile, or adding glass shower doors instead of curtains.
In 2014, home improvement product sales are expected to increase by 6.5 percent, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.
