(ARA) - Even in a volatile economy, homeowners are making home upkeep a priority. While the number of projects annually had been on the decline in recent years, a study from BuildFax, a resource for building, remodeling and repair information, found remodeling activity was up in 2011 over 2010. Additional data shows homeowners are opting to invest in what matters most with projects that benefit their wallets, personal comfort and the environment.
Know the facts
kAmq67@C6 3FJ:?8 2?JE9:?8[ D9@AA6CD 2C6 E2<:?8 E:>6 E@ =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 AC@5F4ED E96J AFE :? E96:C 9@>6D] u@C @?6 :? 7@FC 4@?DF>6CD[ <?@H:?8 2?5 F?56CDE2?5:?8 H92E >2<6D FA 86?6C2= 9@FD69@=5 AC@5F4ED :D :>A@CE2?E] pD @AE:@?D 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?4C62D6[ E9:D 2EE6?E:@? E@ C6D62C49 :D <6J E@ 7:?5:?8 677:4:6?E AC@5F4ED E92E @776C >2I:>F> G2=F6] u@C :?DE2?46[ 9@>6@H?6CD H:== 7:?5 E92E 2 76H ?6H6C 9@>6 :?DF=2E:@? AC@5F4ED E92E 96=A AC@G:56 8C62E6C 6?6C8J 677:4:6?4J 2=D@ 3@2DE ?6H DFDE2:?23=6 7@C>F=2E:@?D] ~H6?D r@C?:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^:?DF=2E:@?]@H6?D4@C?:?8]4@>^9@>6@H?6CD^64@E@F49^Qmt4@%@F49 :?DF=2E:@?k^2m :D >256 7C@> hh A6C46?E ?2EFC2= >2E6C:2=D[ 4@?E2:?D 2 >:?:>F> @7 dg A6C46?E C64J4=65 4@?E6?E 2?5 :D G6C:7:65 7@C>2=569J56 7C66]k^Am
kAmt?6C8J\677:4:6?E 6DD6?E:2=Dk^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 a_`_ w@>6 x>AC@G6>6?E #6D62C49 x?DE:EFE6 %C6?5D !C@8C2> #6A@CE[ C65F4:?8 9@FD69@=5 6?6C8J FD286 2?5 3:==D E9C@F89 6?6C8J\677:4:6?E :>AC@G6>6?ED 4@?E:?F6D E@ 36 E96 }@] ` C62D@? 9@>6@H?6CD >2<6 9@>6 :>AC@G6>6?ED] %92E D2>6 C6A@CE 2=D@ :?5:42E65 D:I @FE @7 `_ 4@?DF>6CD ?665 96=A :56?E:7J:?8 H92E E96J 42? 5@ E@ 36 >@C6 6?G:C@?>6?E2==J 4@?D4:@FD]k^Am
kAmQ}@H :D E96 C:89E E:>6 E@ >2<6 677:4:6?4J :>AC@G6>6?ED 2C@F?5 E96 9@>6 3642FD6 9@>6@H?6CD H:== D66 2? :>>65:2E6 :>A24E @? E96:C >@?E9=J FE:=:EJ 3:==D[ 2?5 H:== C62A 6G6? 8C62E6C 36?67:ED :? E96 =@?8 E6C>[Q D2JD uC2?< ~VqC:6?\q6C?:?:[ 49:67 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ @77:46C 2E ~H6?D r@C?:?8] Qp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J[ 3F:=5:?8D FD6 >@C6 6?6C8J :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E92? 6:E96C EC2?DA@CE2E:@? @C :?5FDECJ[ 244@F?E:?8 7@C E96 4@?DF>AE:@? @7 c_ A6C46?E @7 @FC ?2E:@?VD 6?6C8J C6D@FC46D] ~? 2 >@C6 8C2?F=2C =6G6=[ E96 AC:>2CJ FD6 @7 6?6C8J :? 2 9@>6 :D 7@C 962E:?8 2?5 4@@=:?8] x? >2?J 9@>6D[ 6I46DD:G6 6?6C8J :D H2DE65 E9C@F89 A@@C=J D62=65 2?5 :?DF=2E65 2EE:4D[ H2==D 2?5 5F4EH@C< \ 2== AC@3=6>D E92E 42? 36 D@=G65 3J 92?5J 5@\:E\J@FCD6=76CD @C E9C@F89 6IA6C:6?465 4@?EC24E@CD]Qk^Am
kAm%96 w@>6 x>AC@G6>6?E #6D62C49 x?DE:EFE6 C6A@CED C@F89=J @?6 :? E9C66 9@>6@H?6CD A=2?D E@ AFC492D6 >@C6 6?6C8J\677:4:6?E 5@@CD[ H:?5@HD @C w'pr DJDE6>D :? E96 4@>:?8 J62C] $62=:?8 2== @A6?:?8D 2C@F?5 5@@CD 2?5 H:?5@HD 42? 96=A 9@>6@H?6CD >2<6 E96 >@DE @7 E96:C :?G6DE>6?E] p:C 5F4ED D9@F=5 2=D@ 36 :?DA64E65 E@ 6?DFC6 E96J 2C6 4=62?[ 2C6 7C66 @7 =62<D 2?5 9@=6D 2?5 5:C64E 2:C E@ E96 C:89E DA246D]k^Am
kAm#64J4=:?8 `_`k^Am
kAm(9:=6 C64J4=65 4@?E6?E :D 4@>>@?=J 7@4FD65 @?[ C64J4=23=6 >2E6C:2=D 2C6 2=D@ :>A@CE2?E] ~7E6? H:E9 9@>6 :>AC@G6>6?E AC@;64ED[ @=5 >2E6C:2=D 2C6 E9C@H? @FE 2?5 C6A=2465 H:E9 E96 ?6H] (92E >2?J 9@>6@H?6CD >2J ?@E <?@H :D E92E >2?J 3F:=5:?8 >2E6C:2=D 2?5 2AA=:2?46D 2C6 C64J4=23=6] #64J4=:?8 :D 2 36EE6C D@=FE:@? 7@C E96 6?G:C@?>6?E[ 2?5 >2J 36 =6DD 4@DE=J E92? E2<:?8 >2E6C:2= E@ 2 =2?57:==]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 2C6 >@C6 C64J4=23=6 >2E6C:2=D @? 2?5 :? 2 9@>6 E92? J@F >:89E 7:CDE 2DDF>6] |:==:@?D @7 E@?D @7 D9:?8=6D E@C? @77 7C@> C@@7D 6?5 FA :? @FC 4@F?ECJVD =2?57:==D 6249 J62C] u@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 E649?@=@8J ?@H 6I:DED 7@C 2== E9@D6 D9:?8=6D E@ 36 C64J4=65 :?DE625[Q D2JD ~VqC:6?\q6C?:?:] Qx? a__h[ ~H6?D r@C?:?8 #@@7:?8 2?5 pDA92=E[ {{r 7@C>65 2? 2==:2?46 H:E9 w6C:E286 t?G:C@?>6?E2= $6CG:46D E@ 4C62E6 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^C@@7:?8]@H6?D4@C?:?8]4@>^9@>6@H?6C^DFDE2:?23=6\C@@7:?8^Qm$9:?8=6 #64J4=:?8 !C@8C2>k^2m H:E9 C@@7:?8 4@?EC24E@CD E@ >2<6 C64J4=:?8 4@?G6?:6?E[ 4@DE\4@>A6E:E:G6 2?5 5:776C6?E:2E:?8 2?5 92G6 D:?46 C64J4=65 >@C6 E92? h_[___ E@?D @7 2DA92=E D9:?8=6D]Qk^Am
kAmw@>6@H?6CD =@@<:?8 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE D9:?8=6 C64J4=:?8 2?5 @E96C EJA6D @7 C64J4=:?8 42? EFC? E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^t2CE9h``]4@>Qmt2CE9h``]4@>k^2m[ H:E9 H9@> ~H6?D r@C?:?8 #@@7:?8 2?5 pDA92=E[ {{r C646?E=J 2=D@ 7@C>65 2? 2==:2?46] %96 D:E6 9@DED E96 =2C86DE 2?5 >@DE 244FC2E6 C64J4=:?8 5:C64E@CJ :? }@CE9 p>6C:42 2?5 AC@G:56D :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE H92E >2E6C:2=D 42? 36 C64J4=65 2D H6== 2D =:DED @7 C64J4=6CD :? =@42= >2C<6ED]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 E:AD @? 677:4:6?E 9@>6 :>AC@G6>6?ED[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]@H6?D4@C?:?8]4@>^QmHHH]~H6?Dr@C?:?8]4@>k^2m]k^Am
