NKBA’s updated market outlook reveals 22% of homeowners want to renovate to feel more comfortable in their homes during COVID-19.

By Robert Isler

In the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook September Update, respondents were asked about their level of comfort within their homes during the pandemic. Although 8% were not at all comfortable to the point where they wanted to move, the predominant answer, cited by 71% of homeowners, was that they were generally satisfied with where they were living. The most revealing response, though, came from the nearly 1 in 4 who planned to remain at home, but expressed a need to remodel — and soon — with changes designed to increase their level of comfort during the COVID-19 era and beyond.

A permanent shift may be in the making. Nearly half of U.S. households still have an adult working from home. More than 3 in 4 of them are doing so full time or most of the time, and employers don’t appear to be in any rush to bring them back to the office. This was one of the many study findings which, along with exploring housing, economic and K&B project activities, also delved into changing consumer behaviors and habits resulting from the pandemic.

Nearly 6 in 10 respondents agreed that COVID-19 has made them highly cautious, and has led to major lifestyle changes. Another 3 in 10 expressed sentiments that weren’t quite as strong, saying they were somewhat cautious and had implemented limited lifestyle changes.

Nearly 6 in 10 respondents agreed that COVID-19 has made them highly cautious, and has led to major lifestyle changes. Another 3 in 10 expressed sentiments that weren’t quite as strong, saying they were somewhat cautious and had implemented limited lifestyle changes. The remainder, less than 10%, were generally not fearful of the virus. Statements from those more likely to be affected included, “We are cooking all meals at home to limit our time in public spaces,” and “My husband and I are both working from home and we are not sending the kids to school for safety reasons.” This had led to thoughts of redesign. Among the comments: “We need more functional space,” and, “Time at home has made us aware of all the things we don’t like about our house.”

Also asked within this section of the report were respondents’ top changes of habit related to their homes. This was led by “Cooking/eating more at home” (55%), “Disinfect spaces more frequently” (46%), “Spend more time in the kitchen” (45%), and “Buying/storing more supplies in bulk” (30%).

Homeowners also shared their thoughts about remodeling projects post-pandemic. The question was regarding plans for specific areas/rooms — whether their interest was more, less or the same as before. The backyard had the highest positive ratio of homeowners being more interested in redesign projects vs. fewer, which is understandable, given the recent emphasis on outdoor entertaining. Of the six rooms within the house including bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room, home office and guest room, the only two which elicited a greater interest in redesign post vs. pre-pandemic were the bathroom and kitchen.

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