ConstructionDeal.com 2009 Renovation TrendsThe condition of the economy has really halted many homeowner remodeling plans. Everyone has been affected and very few are thinking about major renovations, like an expensive new kitchen or a swimming pool.
Once the economy strengthens and consumer confidence picks up again, there will be some new trends when it comes to the home. The 2009 stimulus package recently signed into law will help steer a lot of people toward more green renovation, green remodeling, energy-saving home repairs and improvements, and ways to help save more money.
For many homeowners, that trend has already started. A long winter has been high utility bills. Many are already coming to our site to submit requests for window replacement, solar panel and wind turbine installations, as well as home energy audits.
Another trend could be the increase in home additions and sunroom additions. Quite a few people are in houses they couldn't sell if they had to. Or that the house might actually be worth less than they owe. This means a lot of people across the country will not be "trading up" to a newer, larger, or just a different house. They'll be staying put.
To stay put, many are planning to add on. Give themselves more room to live, more room for storage, more room for kids moving back in. A room addition will help or even a huge project like a second story addition will practically create a whole new house. Finding the funds to finance these projects will not be as easy but there should be a loosening of credit as banks realize they're not going to make any money without charging fees and earning interest.
Back to the green renovation trend... It's probably a bad idea to even label it as being green. So many people have politicized "Green" that in some circles, it could be considered a four-letter word. Let's say the trend will be energy and money saving. The
green will be more cash savings.
People will be making changes to their home that will help their wallet as well as their planet. They've been wasting food so they'll try composting. They've been wasting water so they'll install low-flow shower heads. They've been wasting heat and air conditioned air so they'll put in insulation and triple-paned windows. They've been wasting electricity so they'll install a programmable thermostat and switch to a
Energy Star washer and dryer.
The economy has soured and many homeowners will continue to do a lot of the work themselves. Others will find local contractors to help with their installations and home repairs. One trend may even come out of all this will be that more and more people may barter for services. A mini economy could spring up that has homeowners and small business owners trading their expertise for the services of another. Or trading a car or motorcycle for services. It's possible in any economy but more so these days.
Even with people who have plenty of money and job security, the trends for the American homeowner have shifted away from the extravagant. Gone, for a while, are the $80,000 kitchens and the $75,000 heated swimming pools. For most, they'll make due with what they have and hope for few, if any, major home repairs. Many more are tired of the $400 a month electric bill and the lack of room. They'll make changes but changes that increase their home value and help them live a better life.
For the services I've mentioned in this post, if you need to find any local contractors to help you, I've set up a set of links so you can submit a request. Submitting through
ConstructionDeal.com works like this:
- Get 4 quotes from local contractors
- There's no cost
- There's no obligation
- It saves you time - contractors call you
- It saves you money - multiple quotes lets you pick the best price
Ready to get started with your home renovation plans for 2009?
- Get quotes from window replacement companies
- Get quotes from solar panel and wind turbine installers
- Get quotes from insulation contractors
- Get quotes from home energy auditors
- Get quotes from air conditioning companies
- Get quotes from heating contractors
- Get quotes from home addition contractors
- Get quotes from green remodelers
Found a great blog post by Jamie Goldberg on her Gold Notes site. She's a top design consultant down in Tampa, Florida.
