WASHINGTON, May 1 – (RealEstateRama) — The past five years have seen increases in the number of remodelers engaged in aging-in-place home modifications and home owner awareness of these types of remodeling projects, according to a survey by NAHB Remodelers, the remodeling arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Released today as a kick off to National Home Remodeling Month in May, the survey of remodelers also revealed that simple and less costly modifications are increasing in popularity.
“Low-cost, simple modifications to help people be safer and more comfortable in their homes, such as installing grab bars and higher toilets, continue to be the most popular aging-in-place remodeling projects,” said 2017 NAHB Remodelers Chair Dan Bawden, CAPS, CGP, CGR, GMB, a remodeler from Houston. “A professional remodeler can make recommendations to homeowners that meet both their lifestyle and budget needs.”
According to the survey, 80 percent of remodeling companies are doing aging-in-place projects, up from 68 percent in 2013. Remodelers reporting that “most” of their customers were familiar with the aging-in-place concept increased from 11 percent in 2013 to 17 percent in 2016.
The five aging-in-place remodeling projects that saw the largest increases since 2013 were:
- Added lighting/task lighting increased 12 percent
- Curb-less showers increased 9 percent
- Grab bars increased 7 percent
- Non-slip floors increased 7 percent
- Widening doorways increased 5 percent
More complex and costly projects saw minor decreases in popularity since 2013. Adding an entry-level bedroom dropped one point to 33 percent, and installing ramps or lowering thresholds decreased two points to 49 percent.
For more information about remodeling, visit nahb.org/remodel.
Editor’s Note: For a copy of the full survey, please contact Kristin LeMunyon at ">
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Kristin LeMunyon
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