There are many reasons why remodeled homes are more in demand now than fixer-uppers, but a contributing factor just might be the trust gap between homeowners and the home improvement industry. A new study by Leaf Home reveals that homeowners’ top concerns are the availability and cost of trustworthy labor, and that nearly 30% of homeowners have had a negative experience with a professional sourced from a third-party platform.
The study reveals that homeowners top pain points were incomplete jobs, unreliability, and poor communication, while they experienced the most doubt about their chosen home improvement professional during cost discussions, completion of work, and assessment of the final product. The most trusted way to find a provider? Word of mouth (61%), of course. The least trusted? Third-party platforms like Yelp! and Angie’s List (14%), where a whopping 41% found service providers who ended up deceiving them.
It’s no surprise that many homeowners are taking on DIY projects to save money, even if sometimes they may be risking life or limb to do it. While 58% of surveyed homeowners attempted a DIY project in the past five years, 20% ended up hiring a home improvement professional to fix their work. That hiring number increases for Gen Z (33%) and Millennials (29%), and where Gen X (18%) and Boomers (11%) are either more successful at DIY or more successful at not talking about their mistakes.
This is all bolstered by the statistic that most homeowners feel safety is a priority, yet 63% admit to overlooking it when taking on DIY projects.
Yes, move-in-ready homes are hotter now than fixer-uppers, but don’t sound count out homes that “needs some TLC” yet. Nearly half of homeowners surveyed (49%) see fixer-uppers as a benefit, not a drawback. As per usual in this study, that number is higher for Gen Z (64%) and Millennials (61%). Meanwhile, 43% of homeowners would buy a house even if it needed significant work, with Millennials and Gen Z again scoring above average (61% and 54%, respectively).
“Homeowners shouldn’t have to choose between neglecting repairs and taking on DIY projects beyond their expertise because of distrust in home improvement. They deserve reliable professionals who get the job done right at every step,” said Rocco Mango, CEO of Leaf Home. “This lack of trust impacts the entire industry, and it’s our responsibility as leaders to drive change. It’s not easy work, and it won’t happen overnight, but our home improvement pros are committed to making it happen.”
Click here for more on Leaf Homes’ study on home improvements and the growing trend homeowners taking on DIY projects.
