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5 home remodeling trends to watch for in 2021

After a year of spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many homeowners are looking for ways to make their homes fit their new realities. Open floor plans are out; dedicated spaces for remote work and learning are in. Yards are being transformed into entertainment spaces and walls are being repainted. At the same time, increased demand and safety concerns can make the remodeling process much longer than before.

Here are five trends to watch for this 2021 home-remodeling season.

1. A focus on dedicated spaces

At the start of 2020, “the most requested design concept was open space,” says Jimmy Dollman, principal of Dollman Construction in Roanoke, Virginia. “But now, we face a different set of design implications because everyone’s living conditions have changed.”

Dollman notes that remote workers and learners need privacy and quiet. “A year ago, it was rare for one family member to work from home,” he says. “Now, [parents] and kids find it difficult to get work done because of the noise in the open design.”

This year, expect to see homeowners spending less time knocking down walls to open up shared areas, and more time transforming spare rooms or nooks into dedicated spaces. That might mean adding a home office or home theater, for instance, or transforming a nook into a space for distance-learning.

2. Making room for home offices

To add home offices to residences, “homeowners aren’t adding square footage,” says Doug King, owner of King Contracting, a design-build firm in St. Petersburg, Florida, and president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. “Rather, they’re taking out rarely used closets, like in the hallway, and moving interior walls to make space.”

The home office trend isn’t going away anytime soon, he notes.

“Even when the pandemic is over,” King says, “there’ll be a lot of people still working from home.” He notes that because of this trend, use of home technology is also increasing as households install items such as ethernet cables for computer networks and Bluetooth speakers.

3. More outdoor living

One cure for that cooped-up feeling is outdoor living areas.

“People want their backyards to be their oasis,” King says. In his area, he says pools are the No. 1 thing being added to backyards. Outdoor kitchens and fire pits are the next most popular.

Homeowners spending more time at home may also start to seek out remodeling projects that bring beautiful outdoor views inside — for instance, by installing larger windows or glass doors that let in more natural light.

4. Longer wait times

Besides shifts in design trends, homeowners can expect a continued slow-down in the industry. In some cases, safety concerns have changed how contractors and workers approach projects. For example, Dollman has suspended all work in occupied residences to avoid exposure to COVID-19 “to protect the homeowners and our crews,” he says.

Getting permits can also take much longer than usual as demand increases and those who approve the permits adapt to new working conditions — for instance, working at home rather than in the office, or working with a limited staff.

5. Bold colors

For homebound do-it-yourselfers looking for affordable ways to make rooms more welcoming this year, adding a colorful fresh coat of paint will likely be high on their list.

A sign that bold colors and color combinations could be gaining favor: They featured prominently among Color of the Year winners for 2021 announced by brands including Sherwin Williams, Pantone and Benjamin Moore. Sherwin Williams selected Urbane Bronze (a dark brownish-gray), for instance; Benjamin Moore selected an Aegean Teal (a blue-green color); Pantone selected a color duo: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating (a gray tone alongside a bright yellow color).

For homeowners, striking paint colors like these could be an appealing low-cost way to add depth, excitement and personality to a room without overwhelming it.

4 Kitchen Renovation Trends for Investors To Consider in 2021

2020 brought about major changes to the way we live. So it’s not surprising we saw changes in kitchen design as well. After all, if you’re in lockdown, you start to notice what you like and dislike about the heart of the home. If you want to get the kitchen in your rental properties or flips on trend for 2021, here are some renovations to consider.

1. Touchless faucets

Hygiene was among the biggest changes Americans made around the house during COVID-19. Remember when you couldn’t find any retailer with disinfecting wipes?

Because of food prep, the kitchen should be the cleanest room in the house, and the biggest hygienic tech advance for home kitchens has got to be the touchless faucet. After working with raw chicken, for example, most cooks wash their hands before moving onto prepping something else. But that entails touching the faucet while your hands are still contaminated (or awkwardly trying to turn on the faucet with your elbow). Handwashing using a touchless faucet means everything, including the faucet, stays clean.

For savvy real estate investors, the best thing about this new trend is that a brand-new touchless faucet is attractive and makes for a cheap upgrade, as little as a couple hundred dollars.

You’ve no doubt used touchless faucets before, probably in public restrooms. You wave your hands in front of a sensor, and the water activates. You can also get a voice-activated faucet if you choose; not only will that device turn on the water when you tell it to, it will dispense a particular amount as well.

2. Large kitchen islands

With more people at home all day during the pandemic, flex space has become important. With people in the kitchen much of the day working or doing homework besides cooking and eating, the oversized kitchen island (which has been popular for a few years now) is more important than ever.

By oversized, we’re talking an island large enough to seat at least four people. With an island this big, not only can the home chef enjoy a surface large enough to prepare food, people can eat at the island and, when it’s not mealtime, can comfortably work or do homework there as well.

3. Warm colors

If you have a white kitchen, there’s no need to change it. White kitchens remain a perennial favorite. People tend to keep a white space cleaner because they can better see those spills and smudges. (See the hygienic trend above.)

But because people have been home more, a warm and cozy kitchen, to match the comfort food prepared there, is also appealing. If you want to add color to the kitchen, the 2021 trends are practically limitless. You can work with shades of green, blue, red, and yellow and make them work with your existing color palatte.

4. More storage

With more people preparing food at home, storage space is becoming even more important than usual. People want a dedicated pantry and clever spots to store all the new must-have appliances they’ve been amassing: the air fryer, Panini maker, toaster oven, juicer, bread maker, and Instapot.

The Millionacres bottom line

The kitchen can make or break a house sale, as it can be a huge turn on or turn off to buyers and renters. Everyone scrutinizes, or at least notices, the kitchen. If yours needs an update, it’s probably a good choice of your investment dollars to do so. And while you’re renovating, why not stay on trend? It will make a difference.

Incorporating home renovations into the ‘new normal’ of homeownership

COVID-19 continues to reshape our lives, changing our daily routines and mandating precautionary measures that involve staying in our homes as often as we can. With people spending more time at home than ever before, home improvement projects are increasingly becoming top of mind for homeowners.

Remodeling home projects take time and patience, and REALTORS® and homeowners alike recognize the feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and potentially higher home values that come with it. During this pandemic, homeownership is invaluable, and we know that your home means everything to you – from protection, to safety, to comfort – so we’re seeing people across our region dedicating themselves to improving their homes.

Below are some facts about home renovations during the pandemic, according to a survey by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR):

Despite the financial difficulties brought on by the pandemic, 77 percent of homeowners say their home renovation budget for 2020 is the same or greater than last year. The top three home renovations that homeowners hope to complete within their budgets in 2020 are:

             1. A new bathroom (28 percent)
             2. A new kitchen (23 percent)
             3. Fencing in their yards (21 percent)

Homeowners are attuned to how the pandemic may influence prospective buyers’ preferences. A fenced-in yard, for example, the third most popular project for 2020, didn’t even make the top 10 REALTOR® -recommended projects in NAR’s 2019 Remodeling Impact Report which examined a variety of remodeling projects and their appeal, value and potential return on investment.

An additional 21 percent of homeowners expect new investments such as a home office, gym or other space that will offer the greatest return — other projects REALTORS® would not have recommended as a top priority based on 2019 data.

Some renovation priorities remain unchanged: Kitchen and bathroom upgrades and remodels were highly recommended by REALTORS® in 2019 and continue to top most homeowners’ current lists.

 

U.S. Home Remodeling trends forecast through 2026

U.S. home remodeling market is likely to be driven by growing consumer knowledge regarding green buildings and shifting trends towards smart homes. Remodeling of houses generally refers to upgradation of the existing exteriors, interiors, or other improvements to the property such as incorporation of energy saving technology, safety checks and maintenance & repair.

Rising per capita incomes, increasing preference for energy efficient and luxurious living spaces, thriving real estate sector and easy availability of remodeling businesses are factors impacting the regional growth. Moreover, rising cost of land and low lending rates will further fuel the demand for refurbishment across the country. It has been anticipated that the U.S. home remodeling market size will record annual revenues of over USD 500 billion by 2026.

Different programs implemented by the regional governments including residential weatherization, residential retrofit, appliance recycling and direct install programs are encouraging masses to remodel their houses. Growing popularity of mid-century & farmhouse designs has resulted in major changes in American kitchens. Kitchen improvement & additions segment is likely to grow at a significant rate on account of shifting consumer preferences toward streamlined textures, materials and designs.

A higher demand for ceramic tiles as well as the growing adoption of hardwood flooring will supplement the industry trends. The popularity of luxurious bathroom fittings including wall mounted toilets, rounded rectangle vanity mirrors, floating vanities, and console sink vanities will also offer lucrative opportunities for professionals in the remodeling industry.

Rapidly evolving technology and constant upgrades in roofing technology has gathered a lot of consumer attention. Masses are increasingly becoming aware of environmental protection and energy conservation in households through utilization of green materials. This is prompting more consumers to indulge in home remodeling activities.

As per the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, around 39% of the nuclear family homes accounted for the overall U.S. rental homes. Spending on home improvements across the U.S. is gradually escalating due to the rising cost of building material and labor. This has prompted homeowners to spend mostly on the existing houses. Prevalent house renting trends will substantially foster home improvement initiatives across the region.

In general, a large number of homeowners from states such as Texas, Florida and California possess heavy spending capacities for home renovation projects. According to the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), the spending per improvement in California had increased to over USD 9,565 in 2018, which was up by 20% when compared to the spending in 2017.

Competition in the U.S. home remodeling industry is fragmented due to densely populated areas in different regions. A vital role is being played by the wholesalers for distribution of home improvement products at cost-effective prices. For instance, one of the leading wholesale distributors of home improvement products in the U.S., ABC Supply, introduced a new location in Massachusetts to provide products and solutions and cater to the evolving customer needs in the state.

The company has an expanded product portfolio encompassing a range of roofing, doors, windows, siding, railing and decking products. Other prominent providers of home remodeling products and services in the U.S. are Andersen Corporation, Kohler Co., Pella Corporation, Ferguson Enterprises, The Sherwin-Williams Company, ABC Supply, HD supply, US LBM, Beacon roofing supply, and Watsco Inc., among others.