The rooms most Aussies are renovating - and how much they spend

The 2017 Houzz and Home survey has revealed an uptick in home renovations, with homeowners nearly twice as likely to upgrade their primary home than the average renovator.

“2016 was another strong year for the home renovation market, with homeowners continuing to invest in their homes,” says Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. “While the majority of renovations are spurred by homeowners’ desire to upgrade a home they have lived in for some time, recent home purchases are also an important driver of home renovation activity.”

Let’s do this! Finding the time and access to finance were both top reasons to renovate in 2016 (37 per cent and 36 per cent respectively). Also popular was the desire to modify a recently purchased home, or adapt it to recent family and lifestyle changes (29 per cent and 21 per cent), with the remaining 17 per cent focusing on repairs around the home.

Form and function Design and functionality (74 per cent each) were of primary concern for homeowners making cosmetic upgrades in 2016. This statistic overrode the desire for improving resale value (46 per cent), minimising costs of improvements, and ramping up energy efficiency were of highest importance (both 42 per cent).

Hey big spender! While 34 per cent found staying on budget their biggest overhaul challenge, it didn’t deter them spending up, with the average renovation costing $66,900 compared to $64,600 in 2015.

Nearly 80 per cent of those surveyed used their personal savings to fund their project. A considerably lower 15 per cent refinanced, and 14 per cent flexed their credit cards. The remainder relied on home equity lines of credit, gifts and inheritance.

• Related: Which renovations offer the best return?
• Related: A step-by-step guide to renovating
• Related: Nine tips for hiring reliable tradespeople

It’s all about the kitchen Given our contemporary lifestyles, it was not surprising that the most renovated room in 2016 was the kitchen, with an average spend of $22,600. The living room came in second at $6500, followed by master bathroom, bedrooms and the laundry.

Call in the pros “Recent homebuyers tend to do more and are more likely to hire professionals to help with their renovation projects than other homeowners,” says Sitchinava. While electricians and plumbers were the most in-demand providers in 2016 (62 per cent and 50 per cent respectively), renovators revealed difficulty in finding the right suppliers for the job. Almost 70 per cent hired tradespeople based solely on recommendations and good reviews. This was considerably higher than those who could boast relevant experience (49 per cent) or provide the lowest quote (22 per cent).

Energy-savvy Just over 40 per cent said limiting their energy consumption was of primary importance. To create more energy efficient homes, 42 per cent of homeowners took cost-effective measures for improving energy efficiency, whilst 19 per cent integrated ‘green’ materials like wood, ferrock, recycled plastic and bamboo.

What next? With 50 per cent of homeowners choosing to stay put and overhaul their primary homes, the renovation boom looks set to continue in 2017. Given the demand, hiring professional tradespeople will remain a top priority (92 per cent). There is also good news also for retailers, with 43 per cent of those surveyed planning aesthetic upgrades via home decor and furnishings. The most in-demand products to be purchased will include paints (37 per cent), window treatments (30 per cent) and lighting (29 per cent).

The 2017 Houzz & Home survey gathered information from 187,328 respondents worldwide and 9924 respondents in Australia, representing the activity of the more than 40 million monthly unique Houzz users.