Coronavirus didn’t stop home renovation projects, survey finds

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Despite fear, restrictions and the economic downturn that followed the coronavirus, more than half of homeowners who were working on a renovation project before the pandemic were able to continue it, according to a new study.

On Wednesday, home renovation and design platform Houzz released the results of a survey of about 1,000 American homeowners who use the platform.

The survey found that 52 percent of respondents said they were able to continue their home renovation or design project even after the coronavirus was declared.

The ability to continue a project depended on state and local restrictions.

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According to the report, 64 percent of respondents in the South were able to continue their projects, which was the highest percentage in any region.

The South was followed by the West, where 56 percent of respondents said they continued, the Midwest, where 40 percent said they continued and the Northeast, where 37 percent said they continued their projects, according to the survey.

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Meanwhile, about 47 percent of respondents put their projects on hold, but only 1 percent completely canceled their project, the survey found.

Among homeowners who paused their projects, about 40 percent said their project “wasn’t urgent and could wait,” another 38 percent were concerned about health and safety and 27 percent had to wait for local restrictions, according to the Houzz report.

The most likely projects to continue during the coronavirus were focused on home offices and master bedrooms, the survey found. Houzz also reported remodeling projects in the master bathroom and kitchen were also likely to continue.

The survey also found that the projects that were most likely to be put on hold were focused on guest bathrooms and garages.

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The coronavirus also inspired 79 percent of respondents to consider making home renovations or other changes to “help them enjoy their homes more,” according to the report.

Houzz also found that about 50 percent of respondents said they faced challenges in their homes.

Among those, 34 percent of respondents said they needed more storage, 24 percent said they needed better lighting, 23 percent said they needed a workout space and 23 percent said they needed a workspace.

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Houzz’s survey results come a day after Lowe’s reported its first-quarter earnings, which spiked during the pandemic.

The home improvement chain earned $1.34 billion, which is a 28 percent spike from last year.