HomeStars launches Special Edition COVID-19 Reno Report

For the second year in a row, Toronto-based HomeStars has launched its annual Reno Report, this year surveying its homeowner base to find out how COVID-19 has influenced their home improvement decisions.

In addition, they pulled data on service requests through HomeStars, which showed a 17 per cent increase in total requests from March 15, 2020 – October 15, 2020 compared to the same period last year. Some of the report highlights included:

· 80 per cent of Canadian respondents were still planning to take on home projects despite COVID-19

· 50 per cent of those surveyed were doing outdoor projects like fences, decks and pools. 25 per cent cited the reason for these renovations was to create more usable and enjoyable outdoor space as they are spending more time at home

· 16 per cent of homeowners were undergoing a bathroom renovation and 10 per cent were tackling the basement

· One fifth – 20 per cent – of those surveyed were doing larger projects (above $20,000)

· 47 per cent of Canadian homeowners polled said they spent on general repairs to the home. 39 per cent of those polled said they spent between $500 and $5,000.

· One trend that was noted this year so far was homeowners using their vacation money towards home improvements, with 21 per cent reallocating funds to home improvements

· 85 per cent confirmed they would hire a pro for their next home improvement project

“These findings confirm what we are hearing from our home service professionals,” said Shir Magen, CEO of HomeStars. “The industry continues to prosper and despite the initial threat of possible supply chain issues with building materials, we are seeing unprecedented growth and interest in home renovations during COVID-19.”

Each year, almost 10-million Canadian homeowners visit HomeStars.com to research their next project or to become immediately connected to a home service professional based on their specific request and their neighbourhood. The report takes a closer look at the top jobs homeowners were looking for from March 15 to October 15, 2020 vs the same time last year.

Highlights confirm that outdoor jobs and appliance repairs ranked higher this year, and interior services like painting & staining and one-time home cleaning dropped off the list for this year. Bathroom renovations dropped one spot this year, but were still by far the most popular room renovation for both years running.

“We’ve noticed that even though people are conscious of their budgets, the desire to renovate is strong and bigger jobs are more popular for us this year,” said Gabrielle Grant of Toronto-based CINCO Home Improvements. “Our main jobs have focused on structural improvements and overall home renovations. A trend we continue to see is the opening of walls, moving of staircases and creation of new entries to create those open concept spaces that people love. It’s all about making the home more functional.”

The 2020 Special Edition COVID-19 Reno Report is available for download here: https://go.homestars.com/reno-report-2020

Report methodology

HomeStars surveyed its homeowner base from October 9 – October 13, 2020 for a total of 351 Canadian responses. Data pulled from HomeStars included the top ten service requests from March 15, 2020 to October 15, 2020 and 2019 as well as total service requests during both periods. Random interviews with home service professionals took place in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.