Tag: home improvement products

3 Home Improvement Stocks to Keep Watching

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

The surge in interest rates and heightened inflationary pressures dampened consumer spending in the home improvement sector. However, with the easing of inflation and indications of a potential pause in rate hikes, there is optimism for a resurgence in home improvement demand.

Given this backdrop, it might be wise to add fundamentally sound stocks Frontdoor, Inc. (FTDR), Steelcase Inc. (SCS), and Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (HVT) to your watchlist.

Although inflation remains at stubbornly high levels despite easing, consumer spending surged 0.8% in April, as reported by the Commerce Department. While stronger than expected economic data reinforces the need for further rate hikes, the uncertainty in the regional banking sector kept investors hopeful of a pause instead.

Ben Johnston, chief operating officer at Kapitus, expects continued demand for home renovations as housing purchases decline. He foresees the overall cost of home renovations to

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How to accomplish home improvement projects in a shaky economy

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

Spring is kickoff season for many kitchen remodels, bathroom updates and deck repairs, but recent economic turmoil may have homeowners questioning their home improvement plans.

Spending on home renovations is expected to slow this year because of factors such as declining home sales and values, rising interest rates, continuing inflation and rumblings of a coming recession, says Abbe Will, senior research associate with Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

As economic growth slows down, planning and prioritizing will be key to remodeling confidently. Here are five tips to help you remodel in an uncertain economy.

Start with an emergency fund

Even when the economy is doing well, it’s ideal to have an emergency fund before starting a remodel, says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner based in San Luis Obispo, California.

“What you’re trying to avoid is starting with nothing saved, taking out debt to afford these things and

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BBB: Home sweet home improvement tips for National Homeownership Month | business

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

June is National Home Ownership Month. If you’re a home owner, at some point you’re probably going to have some kind of home improvement project that you’re not going to be able to do by yourself.

“Choosing the wrong contractor can make the difference between a successful home renovation and a disaster,” said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Central East Texas. “So do your research, get several bids, and pay in installments to make sure you choose the right one.”

BBB provides the following guidelines on selecting a trusted home improvement service.

Solicit at least three bids from prospective contractors based on the same specifications, materials, labor and time needed to complete the project. Discuss bids in detail with each contractor, making sure you understand the reasons for any variations in the prices. Remember not to make a decision based solely on the lowest bid. Cost differences

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Fewer Americans are making home improvements after covid

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement
Image for article titled The pandemic-era mania for home improvements is over

Image: Mike Blakes (Reuters)

America’s obsession with renovating homes is finally coming to an end.

the trend that took over during the pandemic-triggered lockdown is now fading away, thanks in part to volatile economic conditions. The shift has started to impact companies such as Home Depot, one of the largest retailers in the US, which reaped the benefits of the trend over the past few years.

Quartz Smart Investing: Anna Han

Americans’ love for improving homes helped Home Depot’s revenue climb to a record $160 billion for the quarter ended on Jan. 31, 2023—up from $70 billion for the same period in 2008-2009.

But things are shaping up differently now. For the first time since 2009, Home Depot’s executives suspect a drop in its annual sales as they did observed that people are spending less on renovations and power tools.

“We saw more pressure across the business

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The Prime Minister’s New Year’s message talks about improving the economy, health care, cost of living

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

Prime Ministers across the country are using their New Year’s messages to emphasize everything from housing and affordability to healthy lifestyles.

In his first New Year’s message as prime minister of BC, David Eby said he was honored to celebrate a successful 2022 “including a great economic recovery in our province as we emerge from the pandemic.” But he acknowledged challenges related to housing, health care and the cost of living.

He said 2023 would include measures to build a province where people can buy good homes, feel safe, and get access to family doctors.

Danielle Smith of Alberta, who is also marking her first New

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Home Depot’s lackluster Q1 shows that the remodeling boom is over

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

Interest in big home improvement projects is waning. That’s one takeaway from Home Depot’s uninspired first-quarter results.

“The size of the projects are getting a bit smaller,” Home Depot (HD) CEO Ted Decker told analysts on the company’s first quarter earnings call Monday.

“It could be that the project [are] being deferred or it could be that the project is being broken up into chunks,” Decker said. “Rather than do an entire room or an entire basement, you start working it in smaller chunks and that clearly impacts items per basket in overall activity. “

On a yearly basis, customer transactions slid 4.8%, but came in better than Wall Street’s call for a 5.36% drop. Customers also spent less per ticket than anticipated, recording a 0.2% gain against expectations of a 2.63% boost in average ticket sizes.

Big-ticket transactions, or those over $1,000, were down 6.5% compared with the first

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Stettler home improvement program entering final stages of approvals

Posted on By Kartika
Home Improvement

A new program which will allow Stettler residents to make home improvements and pay for the renovations over time on their taxes is another step closer to reality after the May 2 council meeting.

Following a public hearing during the council meeting, where no submissions were received or presented either for or against the proposed programme, the final two readings of the bylaw were read.

The program, overseen by Alberta Municipalities but administered by the municipality, will allow residents of the community to apply to have proposed renovation work done on homes, such as replacing furnaces, windows, or other high-cost repairs that could be made to make a home more energy efficient paid for upfront by municipal affairs, then have things repaid over 25 as part of the annual tax levy.

To qualify for the program, homeowners will be required to undergo an energy audit before the renovations and again

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