RIVERWOODS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Consumers recognize the financial significance of their home and want to
improve it, however, they appear to underestimate the costs involved and
differ on preferred ways to pay for it. The findings are part of a new
survey from Discover
Home Equity Loans.
Nearly all consumers agree on their home’s financial significance
82 percent of respondents agree that the home they own is a financial
asset, with 47 percent saying the top reason they purchased their home
was that it was a good investment, and 22 percent said that they wanted
to start building equity.
Planning for home improvement projects
More than half, 52 percent, of respondents plan to make home
improvements in the next year or sooner, with 25 percent planning a
project within the next three months. Forty percent of people said they
are planning a home improvement project to increase the value of their
home.
Kitchen and bathroom remodels top the list of planned projects with 37
percent of respondents saying they are planning for each of those home
improvements.
Consumers not clear on the cost and may not have saved enough
The survey found that 64 percent of respondents think that their home
improvement project will cost under $15,000. According to
Remodeling.net, bathroom remodels can cost between $19,000 and $61,000
while kitchen remodels can run up to double the price, with costs
ranging from $63,000 to $125,000.1
When asked how much they have saved for their home improvement project,
only 25 percent of respondents said they have enough funds to cover the
entire cost of the project. Twenty-seven percent have only saved up to a
quarter of the total home improvement cost, with these varying
generationally: 27 percent of Millennials, 37 percent of Gen X and 24
percent of Boomer respondents.
“Home improvement projects can quickly add up and oftentimes cost more
than someone anticipates,” said PK Parekh, senior vice president of
Discover Home Equity Loans. “Which is why people should be financially
prepared and determine which payment method makes the most sense within
their own financial situation.”
Paying for a home improvement project
The survey found a variety of preferred methods for financing home
improvement projects. Thirty-four percent of respondents say they would
prefer to use cash for a home improvement project, followed by 23
percent saying they would use a credit card.
While forty-six percent of respondents had over $100,000 of equity in
their home that they could tap into to finance a project only 38 percent
said that they are planning to leverage that equity, whether through a
home equity line of credit (18 percent), home equity loan (13 percent),
or a cash-out refinance (seven percent). Millennials reported being the
most open to loans on their home equity with 20 percent indicating this
would be a good option for them.
“There are a lot of benefits of using a home equity loan to complete a
home improvement project,” said Parekh. “Discover offers a fixed rate
loan with no application or origination fees. Also, you can use part of
your loan to consolidate other existing debt, possibly reducing your
interest rates and giving you just one monthly payment.”
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment
services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S.
financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become
one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues
the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers private
student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings
accounts and certificates of deposit through its direct banking
business. It operates the Discover Global Network, comprised of Discover
Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one
of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club
International, a global payments network with acceptance around the
world. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
1
https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/
The Discover Home Equity Loan Survey included 1,203 American
homeowners age 21 and older and was conducted online by Research Now
from September 26, 2018 through October 4, 2018. Survey data is weighted
and is nationally-representative for age, gender and region. The margin
of sampling error was +/-3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of
confidence.
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190416005234/en/
Media Contact
Sarah Grage Silberman
Discover
224-405-6029
sarahgragesilberman@discover.com
@Discover_News
Source: Discover Financial Services