Projections for next year’s housing market are already underway, as 2018 could be seeing significantly more home renovations and repairs taking place.
A report released today from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University predicts a growing momentum in 2018 for money spent on remodeling homes. The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity finds annual gains in home renovation spending will surge from 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 7.7 percent by the third quarter of next year.
“Recent strengthening of the US economy, tight for-sale housing inventories, and healthy home equity gains are all working to boost home improvement activity,” says Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. “Over the coming year, owners are projected to spend in excess of $330 billion on home upgrades and replacements, as well as routine maintenance.”
“And while it’s too early for our LIRA model to capture the effects of recent hurricanes and other natural disasters experienced around the country, there is certainly potential for even stronger growth in remodeling next year as major reconstruction and repairs get underway in affected regions,” says Abbe Will, research associate in the Remodeling Futures Program at the JCHS.
Source: “Growing Momentum Expected for Remodeling Spending,” Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (October 19, 2017)
