Survey Says: Landscaping Second Most Popular Home Improvement Project

DES MOINES, Iowa – Indoor/outdoor livability will play a more significant role in the homes and gardens of the future than ever before, according to Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

Nearly 60,000 Americans responded to the magazine’s Better Home Better Living contest and survey, and many reported that outside areas are becoming extensions of the American home’s indoor living spaces with patios, barbeque centers, decks and other areas essentially serving as “additional rooms.”

Survey respondents also said:

• Building a major garden or landscaping project is the second most popular home improvement choice among respondents asked what they would do with $20,000.
• The No. 1 reason that Americans give for remaining in an existing home is “watching something grow that I have planted,” such as a tree or garden.
• 88 percent of survey respondents said “a neighborhood that’s walkable” is important to them – more so, in fact, than spacious rooms or acreage.
• 92 percent said that “looking great from the curb” is an important quality in their selection of a home.

“Affordability and flexibility top America’s wish list when it comes to their homes,” says Karol DeWulf Nickell, Editor in Chief, Better Homes and Gardens. “People are hungry for ideas that fit their budget, and they want their home to work through all the changes their families go through. Inside, they’re concentrating on kitchen improvements that can substantially increase their families’ everyday satisfaction. Outside, they’re looking to add living space to their yard or garden. In our Better Home Better Living House, we’re combining these consumer needs in a completely integrated design that brings innovation to a whole new doable and affordable level.”

For more information from the Better Homes & Gardens survey and the Better Home Better Living House, visit www.bhg.com.