Home Renovation Spending To Peak In 2017

The LIRA projects that annual growth in home improvement and repair expenditures will continue to increase, surpassing 8 percent by second quarter 2017 before moderating somewhat later in the year.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University) – Strong gains in home renovation and repair spending are expected to continue into next year before tapering, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

The LIRA projects that annual growth in home improvement and repair expenditures will continue to increase, surpassing 8 percent by second quarter 2017 before moderating somewhat later in the year.

“Homeowner remodeling activity continues to be encouraged by rising home values and tightening for-sale inventories in many markets across the country,” says Chris Herbert, managing director of the center. “Yet a recent slowdown in the expansion of single-family homebuilding and existing home sales could pull remodeling growth off its peak by the second half of 2017.”