Latest news with #AngieHicks
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homeowners are feeling especially stressed about home repairs
Home improvement retailer Lowe's (LOW) topped first quarter earnings results, while Home Depot (HD) competitor fell shy of quarterly estimates. This comes as homeowners are spending less on home repairs and DIY projects as they feel more stressed, stemming from economic uncertainties. Angi Co-Founder Angie Hicks comes on Wealth for a conversation on why homeowners are delaying repairs and home renovation projects. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. Shares of Lowe's lower after reporting better than expected earnings and growing sales from professionals offsetting weakness in the DIY consumer. Homeowners continue to spend less on big ticket items though amid broader economic uncertainty. Angie's 2025. State of home spending report found that 48% of homeowners are more stressed about home repairs than they were in January. Joining me now, we've got Angie Hicks, Angie, co-founder. Angie, we gotta ask you first and foremost, where is a lot of the stress coming from for homeowners? I think quite honestly, when it comes to taking care of your home, it's for most of us our largest asset, and we tend to spend, you know, 1 to 2% of the value of the home on improvements and repairs each year. So it really comes down to kind of budgeting and understanding what needs to be done around your house and how to best invest those dollars. And so from what you're hearing, are there massive delays in In some of the DIY projects that homeowners would typically be doing. Well, we did run a pulse survey to update our state of home spending in April and saw that 70% of homeowners said they had delayed a project. But I think what you really need to understand here is what that, you know, actually means. We also found that they're doing more maintenance, which is very common, it's a very common phenomena when we see an economic downturn or uncertainty, because what they want to do is not be surprised. They don't want to be surprised by spending, so they're gonna make sure they're getting their. Conditioner tuned up so it doesn't go out on the hottest day of the year, have their roof inspected so they don't have a leak. So they become just much more conscientious about those day to day things, and they're gonna do less discretionary items, more non-discretionary. So maybe we're not putting the swimming pool in this year, but we are still going to make sure that we're maintaining that house. So you see some shifts going on there. And quite honestly, some of those DIY projects. Might fall in that discretionary bucket that they might choose to hold off on. Yeah, we had a perfectly good blow up pool, uh, at one point when we were growing up. So ultimately just go stand next to the hose for a little bit. Yeah, exactly. So as you think about some of the lower cost alternatives to full remodels, because those are some of the projects that homeowners will take on if they're looking to maybe list their home within the next 12 months, what are you hearing on that from? What's the pulse? Yeah, so a lot of times, uh, kitchens and bathrooms are always at the top of the renovation list. And, you know, a lot of times people think, are these tens of thousands of dollars of projects? Yes, they can be. Some can be very big projects, but there are a lot of things that you can do to make it even a more efficient, uh, project, economical and get functionality. For example, in your kitchen, if you want Fresher look. Consider updating the countertops. If you can avoid updating the cabinets, that's where the big money is. And do not change the footprint of your kitchen if you can, because you start moving plumbing and electrical, the cost starts to add up. Same kind of thing in the bathroom. Think about maybe changing out the flooring, updating a sink, but if you're going to redo your whole shower, it's gonna be more expensive. Hm. And so how are the pros on the other side of this responding to what homeowners are ultimately signaling to them the market, the, the professionals that are also working on these projects? Absolutely. So the professionals are working with homeowners more, talking to them about alternatives. You know, I've, I've just had our Angie pro council meeting the other day. We were talking a lot with pros about the different things that they see where they can kind of help homeowners make trade-offs and make good decisions about how to invest those dollars. Uh, and, you know, and, and they're looking. For sorry, then they also are looking at ways that they can aggregate projects together. So you know if they offer both window cleaning and gutter cleaning, suggesting consumers get those done together so that it's one trip and it can be a more efficient economical job. What is the decision tree for whether or not you should actually be starting a new project right now? I mean, first you need to think about your budget. Look at your budget, understand how much you have to spend. And also, I always encourage homeowners to do a walk around your house and evaluate everything you see, because you might choose to do the wrong project, and we don't want people to do that. You know, so you want to start with structural problems, then go to mechanical things, and then work your way to more cosmetic, kind of more upgrade type items. So do that so that you know you're like, hey, my refrigerator's on its last leg. Uh, you don't go and put a new deck on and then realize come August that you need to buy a refrigerator and you feel the crunch. Angie, great to see you. Thanks so much for taking the time as always. Thank you.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homeowners are feeling especially stressed about home repairs
Home improvement retailer Lowe's (LOW) topped first quarter earnings results, while Home Depot (HD) competitor fell shy of quarterly estimates. This comes as homeowners are spending less on home repairs and DIY projects as they feel more stressed, stemming from economic uncertainties. Angi Co-Founder Angie Hicks comes on Wealth for a conversation on why homeowners are delaying repairs and home renovation projects. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. Shares of Lowe's lower after reporting better than expected earnings and growing sales from professionals offsetting weakness in the DIY consumer. Homeowners continue to spend less on big ticket items though amid broader economic uncertainty. Angie's 2025 state of home spending report found that 48% of homeowners are more stressed about home repairs than they were in January. Joining me now, we've got Angie Hicks, Angie co-founder. Angie, we got to ask you first and foremost, where is a lot of the stress coming from for homeowners? I think quite honestly when it comes to taking care of your home, it's for most of us our largest asset. And we tend to spend, you know, one to two percent of the value of the home on improvements and repairs each year. So it really comes down to kind of budgeting and understanding what needs to be done around your house and how to best invest those dollars. And so from what you're hearing, are there massive delays in in some of the DIY projects that homeowners would typically be doing? Well we did run a pulse survey to update our state of home spending in April and saw that 70% of homeowners said they had delayed a project. But I think what you really need to understand here is what that, you know, actually means. We also found that they're doing more maintenance which is very common, it's a very common phenomena when we see an economic downturn or uncertainty. Because what they want to do is not be surprised. They don't want to be surprised by spending, so they're going to make sure they're getting their air conditioner tuned up so it doesn't go out on the hottest day of the year. Have the roof inspected so they don't have a leak. So they become just much more conscientious about those day-to-day things. And they're going to do less discretionary items, more non-discretionary. So maybe we're not putting the swimming pool in this year, but we are still going to make sure that we're maintaining that house. So you see some shifts going on there, and quite honestly some of those DIY projects might fall in that discretionary bucket that they might choose to hold off on. Yeah, we had a perfectly good blow-up pool at one point when we were going up. So ultimately just go stand next to a hose for a little bit. Yeah, exactly. So, as you think about some of the lower cost alternatives to full remodels, because those are some of the projects that homeowners will take on if they're looking to maybe list their home within the next 12 months, what are you hearing on that front? What's the pulse? Yeah, so a lot of times uh kitchens and bathrooms are always at the top of the renovation list. And you know, a lot of times people think are these tens of thousands of dollars of projects. Yes, they can be. Some can be very big projects, but there are a lot of things that you can do to make it even a more efficient uh project economical and get functionality. For example, in your kitchen, if you want a fresher look, consider updating the countertops. If you're going to avoid updating the cabinets, that's where the big money is and do not change the footprint of your kitchen if you can, because if you start moving plumbing and electrical, the cost starts to add up. Same kind of thing in the bathroom. Think about maybe changing out the flooring, updating a sink, but if you're going to redo your whole shower, it's going to be more expensive. And so how are the pros on the other side of this responding to what homeowners are ultimately signaling to them, the market, the the professionals that are also working on these projects? Absolutely. So the professionals are working with homeowners more, talking to them about alternatives. You know, I've I've just had our Angie uh Pro Council meeting the other day. We were talking a lot with pros about the different things that they see where they can kind of help homeowners make trade-offs and make good decisions about how to invest those dollars. Uh and you know, and and they're looking for uh uh sorry, and they also are looking at ways that they can aggregate projects together. Uh so you know, if they offer both window cleaning and gutter cleaning, suggesting consumers get those done together be so that it's one trip and it can be a more efficient economical job. What is the decision tree for whether or not you should actually be starting a new project right now? Well, I mean, first you need to think about your budget. Look at your budget, understand how much you have to spend. And also I always encourage homeowners to do a walk around your house and evaluate everything you see because you might choose to do the wrong project, and we don't want people to do that. You know, so you want to start with structural problems, then go to mechanical things and then work your way to more cosmetic kind of more upgrade type items. So do that so that you know, like, hey, my refrigerators on its last leg. Uh you don't go and put a new deck on and then realize come August that you need to buy a refrigerator and you feel the crunch. Angie, great to see you. Thanks so much for taking the time as always. Thank you. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Epoch Times
How Can I Increase Curb Appeal?
By Angie Hicks Ask Angi First impressions matter, and that especially goes for homes. From painting to lawn care, there's a curb appeal project for everyone. Here are my top ways to boost curb appeal. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way. Consider repainting your siding, or even just your front door and shutters, for a new look. While you're at it, make sure your front door and porch area look clean and inviting. It might be a good idea to rent a power washer or hire a power washing crew to clean your home's exterior. Your front door may be small, but it plays a big role in curb appeal. Lighting can also make a big difference. Make sure all of your outdoor lights are working, and consider buying solar-powered path lighting for an easy, but noticeable, improvement. Landscape walkway lighting not only adds a touch of class, it also improves safety and security. You can also install larger headlights to highlight a particular landscape feature. Use stepping stones, gravel, landscape stones, or pebbles to create walking paths in your yard. They'll give order to your yard, help link points of interest, and make your yard look more well-planned. A retaining wall can play many roles in your yard. Retaining walls prevent erosion, make a sloped yard safer for walkways and steps, manage drainage, and even allow you to garden with more freedom. And when it comes to front yard landscaping ideas, opt for locally sourced natural stone for optimal curb appeal. Related Stories 2/11/2024 8/2/2023 Don't forget about the little things. If your address numbers have seen better days, it might be time to replace them. Similarly, you should make sure your mailbox is in good condition. Even just hanging plants or decorative planters around your front porch or on the sidewalk can be a quick and easy way to improve your look. Consider adding window planter boxes on your windows or front porch railings to add a splash of color and tie into your overall color scheme. Don't overlook basic design principles, either. If one single color dominates your home or yard, add colors to the landscape or trim to balance it out. Strategically adding brightly colored shrubs or flowers can prevent monotony and add a cheerful look. Select a color theme that works for your home and go for it. Your yard is usually the first thing people see when they come to your home. Keep your lawn tidy, prune any trees or shrubs, and take good care of your garden and flowerbeds. Keep beds properly mulched to discourage weeds and create a uniform appearance. Consider using landscape stones to match your driveway, lawn, flower beds, or paver walkway. Landscape stones not only improve appearance, they also help with water drainage and add an inorganic form of mulch. Tweet your home care questions with #AskingAngi and we'll try to answer them in a future column. Copyright 2025 Ask Angi. Visit at Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to
Epoch Times
25-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Epoch Times
How Can I Make My Home More Eco-Friendly?
By Angie Hicks Ask Angi Making your home more eco-friendly is a win-win—it benefits the environment and your wallet. Here are my top eco-friendly home tips. Consider replacing your traditional HVAC unit with a heat pump. Heat pumps can decrease your energy consumption by as much as to 60 percent, making them one of the most impactful eco-friendly swaps. You can choose from a variety of heat pump options, but geothermal is likely to be the most efficient. However, geothermal pumps do require a lot of yard work to dig and bury the pipes necessary to gather geothermal energy. If your appliances are reaching the end of their life, it might be time to upgrade. I recommend looking for Energy-Star-certified appliances to find the models with the best energy savings. Appliances get more efficient every year, so even a decade can make a big difference in how well your next one will work. Eco-friendly projects don't have to be big. Consider switching to low-flow faucets or toilets to reduce your home's water consumption. For an even easier swap, replace your traditional light bulbs with LED versions. It's also a good idea to replace any outdoor lighting with solar-panel versions. Of course, the best way to be efficient is not to lose energy you've already used. Window, door, and foundation leaks can really overwork your HVAC system during extreme weather. So take a look at doors and windows to save energy. Apply weatherstripping to seal gaps, and caulk where necessary. Do the same to the frames of your windows, and install solar window film if your windows aren't already energy-efficient. Related Stories 1/8/2024 7/27/2022 Make sure your attic is properly insulated and ventilated. Poorly insulated attics can be responsible for both hot summers and ice dams on roofs in winter. According to the EPA, proper sealing and insulation can account for as much as 11 percent of your total energy costs. For a larger project, consider replacing your roof with an eco-friendly material that improves insulation, ventilation, and sun protection. All these things will lower energy use and drop your utility bills by as much as 15 percent. If you want a project with a long-lasting impact, consider adding solar panels to your home. More than 10 percent of homeowners plan to install solar panels in the next five years, making it one of the most popular projects according to the Angi 2024 State of Home Spending report. If you're on a budget, consider starting with just a few and adding more over time. As a bonus, solar panels can significantly reduce your energy bills once they're paid off. The federal government currently also offers tax credits when installing solar power. Talk to your solar pro about these tax benefits, as well as whatever other state and local incentives are available. If you live in an area with net metering, not only do you generate your own power, but you're paid back for the unused energy your solar panels send back to the system. Tweet your home care questions with #AskingAngi and we'll try to answer them in a future column. Copyright 2025 Ask Angi. Visit at Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to
