Houzz shows Gen Z renovating

Houzz’s latest U.S. survey shows renovation demand is still running high, and younger homeowners are taking a bigger share of the work. (houzz.com) The 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study, released April 23, surveyed 20,358 users, including 10,176 renovating U.S. homeowners, about projects completed in 2025 and plans for 2026. Houzz found that 54% of homeowners renovated in 2025, while median renovation spending held at $20,000. (houzz.com) Half of homeowners say they plan to renovate in 2026, down from 52% a year earlier, and the median planned budget fell to $15,000 from $20,000. At the high end, though, the 90th percentile of projects reached $150,000 in 2025, up from $140,000 in 2024. (houzz.com) Gen Z still makes up a small slice of renovators, but its share rose to 0.5% from 0.2% a year earlier. Houzz said Gen Z owners were far more likely than older groups to renovate after a recent home purchase, at 61% versus 31% for millennials, 19% for Gen X and 18% for baby boomers. (houzz.com) CultureMap, summarizing the same report on April 22, said millennials’ share of renovation activity rose to 10% from 8%, while baby boomers still accounted for more than half of renovating homeowners and Gen X for 34%. The article described the shift as younger owners entering the market for interior remodels and system upgrades. (houston.culturemap.com) Forbes reported April 22 that kitchens remained the most popular interior project, with 26% of respondents renovating or planning to renovate one. Guest bathrooms followed at 25%, and primary bathrooms at 23%. (forbes.com) The same Forbes report said kitchen spending also moved higher: median spend reached $24,000, up from $22,000 a year earlier. Median spend for a guest bathroom rose to $7,000 from $6,000. (forbes.com) Houzz said the main triggers for renovating were unchanged: 40% said they finally had the time, and 36% said they now had the financial means. The company also found that 61% of homeowners plan to stay in their homes for 11 years or more, and 44% call their current house a “forever home.” (houzz.com) Paying for the work is getting tighter. Houzz said 84% of homeowners still used savings in 2025, but 34% used credit cards, up 5 percentage points year over year, and 37% said they exceeded their original budget. (houzz.com) The pattern in Houzz’s 2026 data is not a pullback so much as a reset: fewer owners are planning projects this year, but the people already in the market are still spending, and more first-time younger owners are remodeling the homes they just bought. (houzz.com)