Porch.com Releases Home Improvement Data Trends Report
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Porch.com Releases Home Improvement Data Trends Report  SEATTLE, WA – Preparing to buy or sell a home? If you are a prospective or current homeowner - you have more information today than you did yesterday thanks to Porch.com.

Today, Porch, the home improvement network, released their 1st Edition Porch Data Trends Report. The full Porch Data Trends Report can be found online here: http://about.porch.com/blog/datatrendsreport1

Porch will issue this report several times per year, using insights from the 1.5 million professionals and over 100 million projects in their network to share analysis into what is happening within the home improvement space. Through analysis of their data, Porch will be able to share national, regional, and local insights into how homeowners are spending their money, what types of professionals they are hiring, the types of projects they are completing, and economic indicators such as project Return on Investment (ROI) and Average Project Cost (APC).

“When we started to build the blueprint for Porch.com, we knew early on that the cornerstone of our experience would be data,” said Matt Ehrlichman, chief executive officer of Porch. “If you think about the home space, there is a lot of information out there. But what has never been explored with great depth is home improvement data at a national, regional, and local level that can help homeowners get the most out of their investment. For our very first Porch Data Trends Report, it was a no brainer for us to dive deep into the data to find ways that will help homeowners make informed decisions since spring and summer represents a peak time of year for home improvement, buying, and selling.”

Porch Data Trends Report – 1st Edition

Which home improvement professionals are most popular before selling a home?

Professionals Before Selling

NATIONAL

%

WEST

%

MIDWEST

%

SOUTH

%

NORTHEAST

%

General Contractors

19%

General Contractors

32%

Handymen

42%

Electricians

21%

Handymen

46%

Electricians

17%

Roofing

14%

Electricians

15%

HVAC

17%

General Contractors

16%

HVAC

15%

Electricians

13%

HVAC

12%

Plumbers

17%

Architects & Designers

4%

Handymen

14%

HVAC

12%

General Contractors

10%

General Contractors

14%

Plumbers

3%

Plumbers

13%

Handymen

10%

Plumbers

5%

Handymen

10%

HVAC

3%

 

Percentage results reflect the likelihood of sellers to hire a particular professional type above the national average

  • General Contractors show up across the country as homeowners are likely taking care of projects to spruce up the home before they put it on the market.
  • Areas that cause obvious concerns during a home inspection such as Electrical, Plumbing. HVAC, and Roofing have a high propensity of activity.
  • Porch was surprised so see that more homeowners do not hire Painters before they sell as interior and exterior paint is an affordable way to improve curb appeal before listing. On average, Painting provides close to a 100 percent project ROI - making it a great project to complete before you list a home.

In addition to looking at the Top 5 most popular Professional Types, Porch also took a look at the project Return on Investment (ROI) and Average Project Cost (APC) for those that were in the #1 slot.

Pros Before Selling

NATIONAL

%

ROI

APC

General Contractors

19%

68%

$53,280

WEST

%

ROI

APC

General Contractors

32%

75%

$118,793

MIDWEST

%

ROI

APC

Handymen

42%

92%

$213

SOUTH

%

ROI

APC

Electricians

21%

55%

$5,000

NORTHEAST

%

ROI

APC

Handymen

46%

95%

$207

 

Which home improvement projects are most popular after buying a home?

Projects After Buying

NATIONAL

%

APC

WEST

%

APC

MIDWEST

%

APC

SOUTH

%

APC

NORTH-EAST

%

APC

Interior Painting

33%

$2,677

Sewer Repair

13%

$5,128

Plumbing Updates

17%

$1,567

Water Heater Replace

11%

$483

Sewer Repair

11%

$1,919

Exterior Painting

8%

$3,481

New Garage

10%

$9,394

Irrigation

10%

$4,723

Kitchen Remodel

10%

$10,062

Electrical Updates

8%

$1,120

Home Inspections

4%

$920

HVAC Repair/Replace

8%

$1,434

Water Heater Install

3%

$1,829

HVAC Repair/Replace

9%

$5,867

Roof Repair/Replace

8%

$2,648

Appliance Installation

3%

$238

Interior Painting

7%

$3,556

Roof Repair

3%

$1,285

New Windows

6%

$965

HVAC Repair/Replace

7%

$7,253

Roof Repair/Replace

2%

$5,608

Security Installation

2%

$1,264

HVAC Repair/Replace

2%

$7,983

Bathroom Remodel

4%

$5,480

New Windows

4%

$1,192

 Percentage results reflect the likelihood of homeowners to complete a specific project above the national average

  • New homeowners immediately tackle Painting projects (both interior and exterior) – on average a lower cost project that brings a sense of personalization to a new home along with improved curb appeal.
  • Across the board Appliance Installation is high as new homeowners seek assistance for moving in and installing purchases like new dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, and dryers.
  • Roof Repair shows up as many homeowners likely negotiate any issues found during the inspection into a lower purchase price; making the act of Roof Repair an immediate need once they move in.

In addition to looking at the Top 5 most popular Projects, Porch also took a look at the project Return on Investment (ROI) and Average Project Cost (APC) for those that were in the #1 slot.

Projects After Buying

NATIONAL

%

ROI

APC

Interior Painting

33%

152%

$2,677

WEST

%

ROI

APC

Sewer Repair

13%

83%

$5,128

MIDWEST

%

ROI

APC

Plumbing Updates

17%

119%

$1,567

SOUTH

%

ROI

APC

Water Heater Replace

11%

62%

$483

NORTHEAST

%

ROI

APC

Sewer Repair

11%

87%

$1,919

 

The most searched for professionals on Porch.com (over the last 30 days)

30 Day Search

NATIONAL

WEST

MIDWEST

SOUTH

NORTHEAST

Painters

Plumbers

Painters

Painters

Painters

Plumbers

Roofers

Plumbers

Plumbers

Plumbers

Handymen

Painters

Landscapers

Handymen

Handymen

Roofers

Handymen

Handymen

Landscapers

Roofers

Landscapers

Electricians

Electricians

Electricians

Electricians

  • Painting is the # 1 priority for many homeowners.  In particular, we found painting searches in the South to be 26 percent higher than the national average. In the parts of the country where the weather is warm and dry we expect there to be year round trends to support exterior painting.
  • The Porch Search results revealed Landscaping searches in the Midwest to be 25 percent higher than the national average (signaling that the region is looking ahead to the start of spring).
  • While not in the top 5 (but in the top 10), the Porch Search results revealed Tree Contractor searches in the Northeast that were 37 percent higher than the national average – surely a result of brutal winter conditions and related impact on trees.

About Porch

Porch is the home improvement network, free for homeowners and professionals. With over 1.5 million professionals and over 100 million projects in their network, Porch enables consumers to make smart home improvement decisions by connecting them with the right professionals. Porch helps professionals grow their business and succeed as homeowners look online for trusted professionals to complete their projects and improve their homes. For more information about Porch visit http://porch.com.

 

 

 

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