Major Home Improvement Investments According to the latest research from the National Kitchen & Bath Association, more than 10% of US homeowners completed a kitchen or bath remodeling project during 2016, including more than 10.2 million kitchens and 14.2 million bathrooms. Almost half (48%) of kitchen remodeling projects were budgeted at $15,000 or more and 21% spent $7,500 or more on their master bathroom remodel. Overall, $85 billion was spent on kitchen-and- bath projects, including $35.5 billion for retail products. In the 2018 US Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, homeowners surveyed said they spent an average of $42,000 on a major kitchen renovation, including replacing all cabinets and appliances for large kitchens (200 sq. ft. +) and $22,000 for smaller kitchens.

Clean and Tidy Three-quarters of homeowners Houzz surveyed said they are obsessed with decluttering the counters, followed by putting items in their place, 66%; recycling, 49%; cooking from scratch, 48%; washing dishes, 46%; and making coffee or tea, 38%. Countertops, sinks, backsplashes and faucets are the most-common upgrades at 94%, 89%, 88% and 84%, respectively. Next were lighting fixtures and cabinets, each 82%, flooring, 73% and appliances at 59%. Urban dwellers are most likely to replace cabinets. More homeowners are enlarging their kitchens: 40% compared to 36% for 2016. Rural homeowners are most likely to increase their kitchen size, 46%, followed by urban, 40%, and suburban, 37%. Rural kitchens are the biggest, at an average of 240 sq. ft.

Kitchen Style Choices For kitchen remodeling projects, the top functional priority is ease of storage/find kitchen items, at 63%. For design, 60% of homeowners want a stylish and beautiful kitchen; to integrate with the rest of the house, 47%; and reflect their taste, 37%. More homeowners are opting to change their kitchen style, or 87%, compared to 75% for 2016. White is the most-popular cabinet color, at 43%, and then wood at 25%. Homeowners are overwhelmingly choosing stainless steel appliances (73%). Gray is the most-popular wall color.

A Fresh Look for the Bath During 2017, almost two-thirds of homeowners who renovated their bathrooms were 55 and older. Most of them, (69%) have lived in their homes for 10+ years and 58% have no plans to sell during the next 10 years. The average spent on a major remodel for a large bathroom (more than 100 sq. ft.) was $21,000 and a smaller bathroom averaged $9,400. Minor remodels cost $12,300 for large and $5,400 for small bathrooms. Baby Boomers spent more than other age groups. Homeowners were most willing to splurge on showers (42%) and cabinets (40%). More than half, or 55%, increased their shower size and 43% changed their layout.

Practical Bathroom Upgrades for Baby Boomers Because many of the Baby Boomers renovating their bathrooms are planning to age in place, 40% of them tend to incorporate a variety of accessible features, compared to only 22% for younger homeowners. Nearly seven in ten (68%) of renovating homeowners 55+ opt for a comfort height toilet, compared to 49% of homeowners 25–54. In the shower, a seat is the #1 accessible bathroom features, at 53%, and in the bathtub, a grab bar is #1, at 22%.

Outlook for 2018 and Beyond The National Association of Home Builders predicted that remodeling spending on single-family primary residences will increase 4.9% during 2018, and another 0.6% for 2019. Challenges to the industry’s growth are a labor shortage and increasing material prices. Many homeowners are choosing to renovate rather than buy a new home. Consumer confidence is also boosting the market. In addition to regular updates and repairs, more homeowners are performing major remodeling projects now than during the past few years.

Advertising Strategies Using the data from The Media Audit for the small-market GMA of Norfolk, VA, as an example and guide, it appears a combination of outdoor, direct mail and the Internet (digital media) may be the most- effective media combination to reach adults 18–49. In the much larger GMA, which Denver, CO represents, adults 18– 49 seem to have heavy exposure to all the media channels listed, with the highest indices for radio, newspaper, outdoor radio and the Internet. For adults 50+ in Norfolk, outdoor, direct mail and the Internet have the largest percentages, with newspaper and direct mail the largest indices. In Denver, the mix is different, with TV, direct mail and the Internet having the largest percentages and indices.

New Media Strategies Since the majority of people planning a kitchen or bathroom remodeling project first research online, create online photo galleries by style for your Website and promote links to them on Pinterest and Instagram.   Create an online quiz for homeowners that helps them determine their budgets and style preferences, and then link the quiz results to suggested products and layouts. “Influencer marketing” can be very effective for kitchen & bath retailers. View January and February 2018 New Media Insights Reports from Media Group Online for more details about this concept, and how to use it successfully.