How Canada’s Economic Outlook Impacts the Home Improvement Products Market

Which home improvement services have the highest demand, and who’s buying them?

In the last decade, it has become increasingly more common to hire professionals for home improvement projects. The Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) Product Purchase Tracking Study found that today at least 10% more homeowners are using home services than in 2009, resulting in a near-40% increase in the number of services purchased in a year.

Study Highlights

Want valuable DIY and pro insights for your business? Based on data from three proprietary Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) studies, the Trends in DIY and Pro Home Improvement report may be exactly what you need.

Study Highlights

Why are American homeowners planning fewer home improvement projects?

Each quarter, the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) partners with The Farnsworth Group and HomeAdvisor to survey contractors on a rotating list of topics, as well as their industry and business sentiment. The two most recent contractor topic studies covered the effects of tariffs and the tax act in the fourth quarter of 2018 and a construction industry labor shortage in the first quarter of 2019.

Study Highlights

Which products are leading sales in the consumer and professional markets?

Each year, hundreds of home improvement industry experts and professionals gather to network, share research and explore upcoming trends and forecasts at the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) Insights Summit. “HIRI has evolved over the last three to five years with good leadership,” said Diane Walsh, vice president of market development and sales at ShurTech and HIRI president. “This year’s conference promises to be the best yet.”

Content delivered at September’s HIRI Insights Summit will fall under three pillars:

HIRI/IHS Markit forecast expects 5.5% growth in the home improvement products market in 2019 after a strong 6.2% in 2018.

Total home improvement products sales are expected to increase 5.5% in 2018 to $420 billion in total sales. The Professional Market is expected to increase 6.0% in 2019 over 2018 and the Consumer Market will see a sales increase of 5.3%.

It's an Omnichannel World

Thriving omnichannel businesses don’t just sell through multiple sales channels — they create a continuous experience for consumers. From brick-and-mortar stores to online-only storefronts, print media and social media, omnichannel businesses make it easy for customers to find and interact with them and their products.

These Generational Insights Can Boost Your Home Improvement Business

How prevalent is homeownership from generation to generation? Will this be the year millennials close the gap? What are the biggest motivators for home improvement projects? How long do homeowners from different generations think about a project before taking the plunge? These are just some of the generational insights you can glean from the newest Generational Age Group Analysis. This original, proprietary research provides a comprehensive picture of generational attitudes and behaviors, from millennials to matures.

Outdoor Spaces Have Most Planned Home Improvement Projects in Coming Months

It’s only January, yet American homeowners are already gearing up for spring. According to the Q4 2018 Project and Sentiment Tracking Survey, which surveys adults in the United States about their planned home improvement projects, outdoor living spaces will feature the most activity in the next three months. More than one-quarter of homeowners surveyed indicated they will take on lawn and garden and/or landscaping projects during this time.

Which projects do recent homebuyers prioritize?

When it comes to learning about the home improvement projects new homeowners — especially first-time buyers — undertake and the projects completed or planned for newly purchased homes, there’s no better resource than the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) Recent Home Buyers Study. Conducted every other year since 2004, the study tracks recent homebuyer behavior regarding home improvement projects.

So, who are these buyers? First-time homebuyers (36 percent of buyers within the past year) tend to buy older, less expensive homes. They are also more likely to be millennial-aged females with lower incomes. Lower incomes translate into less buying power, which translates into more price constraints and offers a valid reason why older homes are often a more realistic option. Not to mention that low credit scores and hefty down payments can also be problematic for first-time buyers.

Learn more about the differences between homebuyers and their motivations, challenges and home improvement plans when you join HIRI. As a member, you’ll have unlimited access to this study and other in-depth, exclusive research, peer-to-peer networking, event registration discounts and more. JOIN NOW

How do home improvement pros decide where to shop?

What drives remodeling, landscaping and other home improvement pros to shop at a home improvement warehouse store versus a specialty distributor? What factors do they consider most critical for strong supplier partnerships?

When does your house start to feel like home? For many, it's not when you put your final signature on the stack of paperwork that never seems to end. Rather, a house starts to feel like home when you put your own personal touches on it. The time spent around this is often filled with a flurry of activities around the house. HIRI’s newly released Recent Home Buyer Study examines those who have purchased a home within the last year and digs deep into what type of work they have done and plan to do to their house.

HIRI/IHS Markit forecast expects 6.3% growth in home improvement products market in 2018 after a strong 7.3% in 2017.

If you’re interested in staying ahead of home improvement industry trends, one of the best ways is spending a couple of days learning and sharing with like-minded industry professionals.

Consumers rely on the media for information and inspiration for home improvement projects. 

From traditional advertising in magazines and on the radio to modern social media channels, blogs, and websites, consumers turn to the media for many home improvement-related needs. Like many other aspects of society, media has changed over the years, transitioning from newspapers and radio to social media and the internet.

Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family were the top source for project planning information in 2011. Websites eclipsed friends and family sources with a subtle 3 percent growth between 2011 and 2017, making the internet the top source for project planning information. But when it comes time to gather inspiration for projects, nearly 30 percent of consumers are still more likely to visit a home improvement retailers’ store for ideas compared to 18 percent of consumers who would browse the website instead.

What’s stopping home improvement projects from getting done?

HIRI’s Barriers to Home Improvement research details the various factors that contribute to home improvement projects being put on the back burner. From lack of time and financial resources to indecision about the right products to buy or professionals to hire, around 32 percent of projects are postponed or completely disregarded — with bathroom and kitchen remodels at the top of the list.

Past speaker and frequent attendee Grant Farnsworth, director of business development at The Farnsworth Group, caught up with us to share why he thinks the Insights Conference is a can’t-miss event for home improvement industry professionals.

After posting strong market growth last year, the home improvement products market is expected to grow by an additional 5.3 percent in 2018. Housing starts are also projected to grow due to rising demand, lean inventories and rising prices.

The Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) partnered with IHS Markit to develop the U.S. Size of Market Report. This report delves into the recent IHS Economics forecast and looks at the forecast for the U.S. market through 2022.