The Renovation and Home Purchase Survey reports on actual renovation expenditures made in the previous year, as well as intentions to buy or renovate a home in 2010 in the following 10 major centres: St. John’s, Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.1 The survey provides timely information on renovation market trends.

“More than $25.8 billion was spent on renovations in 2009 across the 10 major surveyed centres, an increase of about $4.5 billion compared to 2008,” said Gustavo Durango, Senior Economist at CMHC. “As well, when Canadian homeowners were asked about their renovation plans for this year, 43 per cent indicated that they intend to spend $1,000 or more by the end of 2010.”

Half of the households surveyed reported that the cost of renovations undertaken in 2009 was in line with what they had budgeted, while 35 per cent said that they went over their planned budget for the renovation. Twenty-seven per cent of households that undertook a renovation project hired a contractor for a portion of the work. Twenty five per cent of renovations in 2009 were completed by “do it yourselfers”. However, many households (42 per cent) chose to contract out the entire renovation project.

Across the surveyed centres, 76 per cent of households who undertook renovations in 2009 paid for the work from savings, a slight increase from 75 per cent in 2008.

Moishe Alexander – Renovation Spending

The main reason given by households for renovating in 2009 was to update, add value or to prepare to sell (52 per cent). Thirty-two per cent said the main reason for renovating was that their home needed repairs. The top three renovations completed last year were: remodelling rooms (34 per cent); painting or wallpapering (29 per cent); hard surface flooring and wall-to-wall carpeting (27 per cent).

Of the 10 major surveyed centres, the highest percentage of homeowner households that renovated in 2009 was in St. John’s at 59 per cent, followed by Ottawa at 58 per cent, and Halifax and Winnipeg (both at 55 per cent). The centre with the lowest proportion was Montréal at 45 per cent.

Renovation intentions for 2010, across the 10 surveyed centres, are highest in St. John’s, where 55 per cent of consumers indicated they plan to undertake renovations costing $1,000 or more. This is followed by Halifax, Winnipeg and Ottawa (all at 50 per cent). The proportion of potential renovators is lowest in Québec City and Montréal (both at 39 per cent).

On the home purchasing front, six per cent of all households indicated they bought a home in 2009, unchanged from 2008. The largest share of homebuyers was in Edmonton (nine per cent), followed by St. John’s, Quebec, Ottawa and Winnipeg (all at seven per cent). The lowest share of homebuyers was in Toronto (five per cent).

Five per cent of households across the surveyed centres intend to purchase a home that will be used as a primary residence in 2010.

Home buying intentions are strongest in Edmonton where seven per cent of households reported that they are considering buying a home this year, up from six per cent in 2009. Purchase intentions are the lowest in St. John’s and Ottawa at four per cent (these were the only jurisdictions reporting lower intentions than last year, a decline from five per cent in 2009).

I like them, but in real life, it’s different.

So I’ve been thinking… It would be an amazing thing to film a home buying experience from beginning to end. The initial meeting, the people involved, the home tours, the offer, home inspection, and everything in between.

No big TV production, just grassroots and real.

Something to remember and to look back on. Buying a home is an incredible experience, and it would be an example to others, too.

So obviously I’m looking for a young couple who are looking to buy their first home in the next 6 months, and are willing to go on this unique journey in front of a camera.

The ideal couple would be authentic and open, honest and trustworthy, and friendly and willing to share. If you are camera shy, you would probably have to get over it early in the process.

Also, a reasonable level of comfort with a computer would be mandatory. No heavy lifting, but we might be uploading videos and transferring files. I would provide a Flip Mino camera that you can keep when shooting wraps up.

We’ve never tried anything like this before, and I’ve never heard of any other Realtor doing it. To be honest, I have no idea how it will turn out (it could crash and burn, or it could get huge), but I’m looking for someone ambitious and enthusiastic enough to be a team and give it a shot.

http://charltongroup.typepad.com/cgjournal/2009/07/share-your-home-buying-experience-with-the-world.html

reviewed by Alexander Moishe ,  Canadian Funding Corp CEO