Home Sweet Home!
When a man’s home is born out of his heart and developed through his labor and perfected through his sense of beauty, it is the very cornerstone of life~ Gustav Stickley

      On the other hand, people who now own their own home seem to be just as happy with their decision. When asked the number one reason they decided to be a home owner, over 48% said they wanted a place to call their own and 29% wanted a stable, quiet neighborhood in which to live. About 20% said they were more interested in the investment and tax advantages that come with ownership.

      But once you’ve bought the home, it’s no one else’s responsibility. Images of the “job jar” and the “honey-do list" are the stuff that newspaper comics are made of. Dagwood’s couch and the hammock in Thirsty Thurston’s back yard comes to mind. But, surprisingly, when asked if maintaining the home was a burden or pleasure, 61% said they enjoyed the challenge.

      Interestingly, those who call themselves Republicans are more likely than Democrats to attempt home repairs themselves (64% vs. 52%), and as people age and gain confidence, our study shows that they are more likely to do home maintenance themselves, rather than hire professionals.

      Do most people make improvements to increase the value of their homes? Surprisingly two thirds say improvments are made to make their home the way they want it, not necessarily to improve the value.

      Our ideas on what to do and how to do it come from a variety of places. Across the country, 21% get ideas and instructions from family and friends while another 20% use magazines and books as a source; 12% watch television do-it-yourself shows for inspiration and 5% rely on the expert at the local home center for help. (The largest group doesn’t have a clue where their inspiration came from.)

      While most homeowners view the idea of home maintenance as a pleasure, only 39% are actively looking for projects, 36% react and fix things as they are needed, and 21% are on the "home repair ropes", restoring only what they can afford.

The Dollars and Sense of Home Ownership

      One in five home owners said that investment or tax implications were the main reason for owning their house. This number nearly doubled among Hispanics, with 43% saying that financial incentives are the main reason for their home ownership.

      As real estate prices skyrocket, we wondered how Americans acquired their homes, and 95% say they purchased it themselves, using money they had saved or accrued in a previous property as a down payment. But, 18% of Hispanic home owners inherited or received their home as a gift. This was also true of single adults living alone (16%).

      Home ownership remains a dream for many, with 57% of renters saying that they plan to continue to rent only for up to 6 years, and would like to buy if and when they can raise a down payment.

      With the price of energy rising, 27% said that they have made adjustments in the way they control the temperature in their homes. Of this group, 74% have taken measures to improve the energy efficiency, 10% have switched to heating with wood, 14% plan to install programmable thermostats, and 19% will install other energy devices like solar panels.

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      When given the prospect of selling their house, nearly 26% want to have a hand in the deal, 14% would attempt to orchestrate the sale themselves, and 11% would try one of those “we’ll help you to sell your home” real estate companies. However, the overwhelming majority (56%) would do it the old fashioned way - hire a real estate agent to handle the whole thing… even though 65% think that the agent’s fee is too high.

Of those who would opt for the real estate agent, more than two-thirds would chose a local firm over a national agency.

How we choose

      Some choose their home with their hearts, others with their wallets. Do you buy a home you can afford? Or choose the home they want, then figure out how to afford it? Nearly 78% do the common sense thing and buy what they can afford. On the other hand, 18% have a more adventurous constitution and work it the other way. These numbers are fairly consistent through all the major demographic groups, except among those who say they never attend church or synagogue services, where the number rises to 27%! Hmmm. No lack of faith there!

When asked what type of home, old with charm, or new with few repairs, a solid majority (56%) opt for the more carefree life over the magic of times past. And what issue is the most important when making that big decision? Safety of the neighborhood ranked first, while price and quality of schools lagged far behind.

      Other factors in our choice are size and amenities. Most people opt for amenities or features over sheer size. But what would be the deal breaker for you? Americans are split between the number of bedrooms, storage space, lack of laundry facility…followed by size of yard and number of bathrooms.

      Distance from home to the workplace is gaining importance as the cost of fuel rises. Most people indicated that 30 miles is about as far as they are willing to commute, whiloe some will go up to 50 - but that's it. Traveling to church and shopping has about the same limit - up to 30 miles.