Homeowners Spending More on Kitchen Upgrades

Homeowner spending on kitchen upgrades is on the rise, according to a recent study from Houzz, the online home improvement community.

In November, Houzz surveyed more than 2,700 homeowners who were in the midst of a kitchen renovation project, were planning one or had recently completed one.

Nearly 90 percent of the survey respondents hired professionals to do their remodels. Of those people, more than half hired general contractors and a quarter of them hired a kitchen designer.

Overall, they also spent more in 2016 on their projects than participants in the same study the year prior. 

The top major features homeowners chose or planned to upgrade in their kitchen renovations included countertops, backsplashes and sinks.

Applied to Retail

Even if your pro customer base is small, you can work with remodelers and designers to build relationships with homeowners who are planning projects. Getting to know pros can be beneficial to your business and theirs.

Do the pros you know understand the extent of your product offering? They may rely on your business for plumbing parts, but might not realize you can order cabinet doors and specialty knobs that their customers can’t find at the big-box stores.

Find ways to educate your professional customers on what you offer, but further nurture your relationships with them by referring your DIY customers to them.

If you don’t know many contractors or designers, brainstorm ways to connect with them so you can attract them as customers, but also use them as resources when your everyday shoppers ask for referrals.