Half of American homeowners say the economy is driving them to stay in their current home for an average of 12 years longer, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 homeowners explored the state of their home, finding that with more homeowners staying in place long-term, maintaining aging homes is becoming a priority.
Home Maintenance Challenges
Respondents are happy where they are — so much so that one in seven are in it for an even longer haul, envisioning themselves in their home for at least 20 more years. The survey found that for many, their home is an investment, with half saying that the economy has influenced how long they see themselves in their home.
More time with their home will mean making sure it’s up to par and getting ahead of the curve on maintenance. Luckily, they’re already on top of it, as eight in 10 homeowners say they prioritize proactive home care just as much, if not more, than reactive home care. However, despite claiming to be proactive maintainers, many are unaware of how frequently essential tasks need to be taken care of proactively.
The findings suggest many are still waiting until something goes wrong before taking action. Even after owning their home for an average of 16 years, three-quarters of homeowners are still learning about how to get ahead of care for their home. Whether or not they knew of these maintenance standards, the majority of homeowners admit they have not revisited maintenance for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC in the past year.
Seeking Professional Help
To avoid feeling overwhelmed with the feats of home repair alone, some homeowners have even turned to AI, with 32% of these respondents finding a chatbot useful for knowing how to do a repair, fix their plumbing, or some kind of electrical work. However, sometimes you just have to call in a professional. Americans ranked electrical work, HVAC maintenance, and plumbing as the top three areas they wouldn’t dare attempt themselves.
Without the help, being behind on home maintenance leaves one in five respondents feeling disconnected from their space, and even more feeling embarrassed about their home and frustrated at their own skill level. One in six homeowners currently have at least three ongoing home-related projects right now and is putting off two of them.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
