San Diego is a vacation destination for many people around the world. They come here seeking our beautiful beaches, balmy weather, scenic hillsides and close proximity to mountains, deserts and a host of things to do.
But what do residents of San Diego do to escape this paradise? Where do they vacation? In this economy, many San Diego homeowners agree this might be the year to re-invest vacation money into home improvements.
Perhaps they see home values increasing, or maybe they just ready to enjoy the improvements that can be personally enjoyed for years to come.
Houzz recently surveyed over 29,000 people and (no surprise) discovered home aesthetics are a priority for those who own homes. They found that 86 percent agreed that “improving the look and feel of the space” was of critical importance. It may surprise some, but only 47 percent in the survey were motivated by the idea of “increasing home value.” The survey also revealed that homeowners are choosing to improve their homes and are willing to sacrifice options like vacations to do so.
Though home improvements make lots of sense, these survey results came as a surprise to Houzz, especially in light of current national economical statistics. “We expected that in this economy, Americans’ highest priority would be increasing home value, but instead we found people are focused on pleasing themselves, not the next owner,” said Liza Hausman, Vice President of Marketing for Houzz. “Homes today are doing double or even triple duty as workplace, stay-cation, gym and more.”
That’s an easy trend to see, whether homes are in coastal Carlsbad, rural Fallbrook or downtown San Diego. People are creating Zen-like gardens, man caves, designer kitchens and spa bathrooms that could rival those at a world class spa. These are not property flippers; instead, they are people who want to sink roots and create very personalized living spaces.
Of course, kitchens and bathrooms continue to outrank other improvements when remodeling. It’s estimated that about 48 percent of those surveyed planned a bathroom remodel, and 45 percent a kitchen overhaul. It is interesting to note that Midwesterners’ budgets for kitchen and bath remodels were most expensive, at $30,500 and $13,600 respectively, while homeowners in the South planned on spending less, about $23,800 and $11,600. San Diego remodels, of course, would likely fall into the more expensive range, certainly rivaling those int he Midwest.
Are you planning a remodel in the second half of 2012? Do you have any suggestions or tips|? We’d love to hear your ideas! In the meantime, you might be interested in reading the survey results:
Click here to access these survey results