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According to the 2024 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study, the outdoor living industry continues to grow as homeowners turn to professional builders to make their outdoor visions come to life. Below are some of the highlights of the study.
Homeowners who have completed, are currently working on or are planning an outdoor space or home exterior renovation in 2024 are hiring the following outdoor specialists: 21% hired or will hire a landscape contractor, 17% a concrete specialist, 15% a general contractor, 14% a deck, patio or outdoor enclosure specialist, 13% a concrete or masonry specialist, and 9% a fence or gate specialist. Overall, 65% of the homeowners hired or will hire a professional for their project.
The types of projects builders are being hired for are 44% decks, 23% open porch or veranda, 20% shade structure, 12% shed or workshop, 12% built-in kitchen, 12% screened in porch or veranda, 4% outdoor shower or balcony, and 1% treehouse.
Specifically, 48% of homeowners requested a composite or plastic deck, 32% pressure-treated lumber, 20% stone, 18% concrete or cement, 12% redwood or cedar, 5% aluminum, 4% tile, 3% tropical hardwoods, and 2% recycled wood or glass railing.
Other study highlights included:
Extending living spaces: Among homeowners upgrading their outdoor areas, a third on average (33%) are doing so to extend their living spaces. Gen Xers (41%) and Millennials (38%) are at the higher end, compared with just 28% of Baby Boomers. Similarly, younger generations are more likely to undertake outdoor upgrades for entertainment purposes (44% and 42% of Millennials and Gen Xers, respectively, compared with 34% of Baby Boomers).
Upgrading or adding outdoor kitchens: One in eight renovating homeowners (12%) adds or upgrades an outdoor kitchen. This type of project often includes the installation of plumbing, electrical or heating systems (58%), appliances (55%), countertops (50%), storage (22%) and roofing (21%). Grills are the most common appliance or fixture in new outdoor kitchens (88%), followed by cooktops (46%), pizza ovens (33%) and smokers or deep fryers (22%). Aligned with their goals of extending living space and enhancing entertaining capabilities, Millennials are most likely to install a built-in outdoor kitchen (22%) compared with 15% of Gen Xers and 8% of Baby Boomers.
Lighting up the landscape: Among homeowners with outdoor system projects, nearly four in five homeowners (78%) upgrade outdoor lighting. Landscape lighting tops the list (81%), followed by string or bistro lights (44%) and porch sconces (37%). Light fixtures most commonly are a mixture of glass and metal (58%); however, 31% of lights are all metal.
Landscaping improvements: Among homeowners with outdoor feature projects, more than three-quarters (77%) of homeowners upgrade plants, shrubs or trees on their property, and two-thirds (66%) upgrade beds or borders. Among the plants chosen, the most common are flowering (82%), low-maintenance (71%), butterfly, bee or hummingbird attractants (55%) and native plants (52%).
For a full copy of the report, visit https://st.hzcdn.com/static/econ/2024_Houzz_US_Outdoor_Trends_Study.pdf
