2024 Pre-Summer Check-in Survey: Exploring Homeowner Preparations

The to-do list never stops for most of us. That’s especially true for those of us who are preparing our homes for summer.

Preparation is important this year as chances are high for La Niña to arrive by June-August (March 2024 ENSO, March 2024). This can result in heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and drought in the southern U.S. These weather patterns can also mean a more severe hurricane season that can potentially lead to storm damage
(Three-Month Outlooks OFFICIAL Forecasts, February 2024).

The early days of summer can be a good time to complete home projects, with milder weather and longer daylight hours. Heading into the summer season, we surveyed U.S.-based homeowners about their summer to-do lists, including potential challenges with upkeep and how they plan to tackle their home projects.

Key takeaways from responding homeowners

• Many homeowners are taking a proactive approach to maintenance this year.

  • Nearly half of responding homeowners (48%) said they’re prioritizing seasonal maintenance tasks this summer.

  • In fact, more than half (53%) are already doing regular maintenance to prepare specifically for severe weather-related damage.

• Homeowners’ main motivator to pursue seasonal maintenance tasks this summer is likely to keep utility costs down.

  • 50% of homeowners in our survey say high utility bills are their top concern—the most common choice and higher than severe weather and safety concerns.

• From a financial standpoint, many homeowners are thinking ahead.

  • Nearly half (44%) are using a pre-planned budget to finance summer home maintenance and repair projects this year.

  • Credit cards (27%) were the second most common financing method.

• Homeowners are planning to DIY the same tasks they prioritized last year:

  • Trim trees and shrubs (51% prioritized last year vs. 41% DIYing this year)

  • Check and/or spray for bugs (44% prioritized last year vs. 37% DIYing this year)

  • Cleaned the dryer vent (41% prioritized last year vs. 36% DIYing this year)

  • Although these are crucial tasks to complete, others, like checking and/or replacing weatherstripping (20% prioritized last year vs. 20% DIYing this year) and checking for water leaks (24% prioritized last year vs. 19% DIYing this year), can help directly impact lowering utility bills.

• More than half (58%) of homeowners surveyed have a pressing repair that’s at least moderately urgent to address.

  • The top three challenges for completing summer home maintenance and repairs are affording the costs (55%), finding a reliable Pro (31%), and determining whether to DIY projects or hire a Pro (30%).

• Many homeowners are planning to DIY most home maintenance tasks rather than hire a Pro. In addition to helping reduce costs, having a sense of pride in completing home repairs (30%) and learning new skills (25%) are leading motivators for homeowners choosing to DIY.

Homeowners are prepared to prioritize maintenance this summer

Nearly half of responding homeowners (48%) say they will prioritize seasonal maintenance tasks this upcoming summer. The other half are focusing on home improvements (24%), crucial home repairs (18%), or not prioritizing any sort of project this summer (11%).

In our survey, the majority (86%) of respondents said they live in homes more than 10 years old, while more than half (53%) live in homes more than 30 years old. Older homes may need more maintenance as certain components begin to break down, infrastructure ages, and critical systems reach their expected lifespans.

For all homes, especially older ones, prioritizing proactive maintenance can help prevent damage and potentially get ahead of home insurance claims down the line. Responding homeowners from our survey likely have this top of mind since many are prioritizing seasonal maintenance this summer.

Homeowners recognize summer challenges, and are most concerned about affording the costs

High utility bills (50%) is the number one summer concern for responding homeowners—even higher than safety-related concerns like storm damage (30%) and extreme heat (29%). Owners of older homes (10+ years) may be especially concerned as aging appliances are typically less energy efficient, causing higher-than-average utility costs.