Mixing up these terms and the concepts behind them bugs me. Maintenance and repair work (like roofing btw) are NOT remodeling.

Updating mechanical systems, replacing old and older major appliances, and even windows and doors in most cases are genuinely needed independent of anything else and especially the cosmetic and "design" incorporated in that project.

While all these legitimate things may be included with or even the major impetus to doing the remodeling work at any given time... these are all items the responsible homeowner should be tucking money away to replace in due course anyway.

Oh yeah, and replacing the builders grade Whirlpool refrigerator and formica countertops' in your suburban tract home (whatever it's price) with a Sub Zero refrigerator and granite countertops... well, that is be snark for another day.

I think maintenance and remodeling both fall under the broad "home improvement" category, which is why I tend to use that term. Remodeling might be more improving than maintenance, but they're both work.

I am not surprised that people want to do home improvement projects. The problem now is that most people can't use their home as an ATM to pay for it. Back in the day, you would get a cash out and fix up the home, hoping the value would also go up. Now that equity is stripped, people are not going to use the little equity they have remaining to pay for home improvement projects. The only real alternative would be to use credit cards, which also may not be an option since people are seeing those rates double and limits cut in half. Then how else do you pay? I don't think spending savings is a wise investment either. The only feasible reason to do home improvement on a home is when you purchase and do a 203k or 203k streamline so that it is included in the purchase loan amount. Investors have the cash to pay for it out of pocket. As you said in an earlier post, about 40%+ of homes bought in the area were cash offers. I don't think ordinary people are using their own funds to pay for these projects. If they are, the money should be used to pay down debt, not to incur even more debt.

How un-American of you Frank! I mean, our citizens have the right to be debt-slaves. It's in the Constitution!

Miss/Mrs Smith
Speaking as someone who excavates basements and does interior demolition , i am hopeing that people start renovating their basements.

You might want to let your readers know the importance of hiring a licensed and insured
contractor.

And if they are living in a rowhouse and are getting their basement dug out they should watch how the contractor does the underpinning.

If there is no footer[ which there usually isnt] then the contractor has to dig at least 7 inches [2 bricks wide]under the wall to put a concrete foundation in.

They shouldnt do sections that are more than 4 feet [ i do 3 ft sections myself , to be safe].

Its the homeowners house.No contracor [including me] wants a homeowner looking over their shoulder all day. But the homeowner defintly has a right to check the quality of the work as its being done.

If a contractor is legit , then they wont mind showing and explaining to a homeowner how the job will be and is being done.

And the homeowner shouldnt be afraid to ask for references.No legitimate contractor will mind providing references.

And if they dont get permits for the job then that is a BIG warning sign!

I hope that this advice will help some of your readers if they do work on their houses.

It's Ms. Hopkins, Pete, but please -- call me Jamie. Thanks for the tips!

MS Hopkins
Im sorry that i called you by your middle name by mistake. I ve had a long day of shoveling snow, and i am prone to making typos when im tired.

Hey, my three-part name is confusing -- no apologies needed. And really, I happily answer to "Jamie."

Hope your shoveling duties are all done.

I don't understand why this articles mixes repair, services and remodeling as if it was the same. Remodeling is replacing bathrooms, kitchen, doors, floors, etc. I am a general contractor and the market for service and repairs is not the same as remodeling. I really hope the market picks up, we used to install more than 20,000 ft2 a month of travertine, marble, porcelain, laminate, wood floors, limestone, granite and other flooring which keep people employed and local distributors or flooring companies like www.sooplies.com busy, now I am only buying about 1000 ft2 a month.

Daniel, this blog post touches on repair, services and remodeling because the ServiceMagic report does.

Basements are a big item in Baltimore city because the bulk of the housing stock is circa 1920s when the concept of family rooms wasn't current (kids must have played outdoors) and basements were left unfinished since "only" the maid was expected to go down there to do laundry or use her wretched "flush". I would LOVE do a finished basement, but with the current market I can't justify it. I've already done about 20K of work to the house and although my mortgage is not under water, the house would not sell for what I paid, repairs aside. But someday when I do feel the time is right, I think some finishing work to the basement would be a major selling point. But given the condition and potential dampness of many Baltimore's old basements, the job has to be very carefully thought out, and potentially NOT too high end a sort of thing. I'm thinking "rustic" here, to make it more pleasant and usable, but not a drywalled multimedia room or such, Any one have good experiences with this they can share?