- About two-thirds of homeowners who recently made renovations chose to upgrade their home instead of moving to a new place, per a recent Redfin survey.
- Within this group of homeowners, millennials and Gen Zers are more likely than older people to remodel instead of move.
- Most homeowners who renovated in the last year spent less than $20,000 on upgrades, signaling that a lot of them are opting for select improvements rather than a full remodel.
- Fresh paint, bathroom upgrades and kitchen renovations are the most common improvements.
Instead of moving, Americans are remodeling. More than two in five (43%) Americans renovated their home in the last year, and another 33% plan to renovate in the next year, according to a recent Redfin survey.
For many, renovating is a deliberate alternative to seeking out a different home. Roughly two-thirds (65%) of homeowners who are recent renovators chose to upgrade their current home instead of moving. For homeowners who are planning to renovate in the next year, 71% say they’re remodeling instead of buying a new place.
This report is based on a Redfin-commissioned survey fielded by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. Please see the end of this report for more on methodology.
Homeowners are staying put because it is expensive to move. With high mortgage rates and home prices, moving isn’t an affordable option for many Americans–especially when about 80% of homeowners with a mortgage have an interest rate below current levels, according to a recent Redfin analysis. Other recent Redfin research shows that while housing inventory is increasing slightly on a year-over-year basis, there’s still a shortage of desirable, move-in ready homes for sale–especially those that are spacious enough for a family.
Gen Zers and millennial homeowners are more likely than their older counterparts to remodel instead of move, with 77% of each generation saying they made improvements rather than moving in the last year. Those with kids living at home are also more likely than others to choose renovations.
“Many Americans are choosing to stay put and make the home they already have work for them,” said Chen Zhao, Redfin’s head of economics research. “That could mean improving outdated spaces, adding space for a growing family or reconfiguring the existing space so it works for everyone. Younger homeowners are especially likely to renovate instead of jumping to a different house; they’re earlier in their homeownership journey and more willing to invest in improvements to build equity. Those with kids living at home are often motivated to plant deeper roots where they are so they can stay in the same school district and community.”
Most Homeowners Who Opt to Renovate Spend Under $20K on Upgrades
A lot of renovators are opting for meaningful improvements without busting their budget on a complete remodel.
Roughly a quarter (23%) of people who renovated their home in the last year spent between $10,000 and $20,000 on improvements; the next-most common price tags were $1,000 to $5,000 (21% of recent renovators) and $5,000 to $10,000 (20%). A sizable share (16%) spent between $20,000 and $50,000 on renovations.
Fresh Paint, Bathrooms and Kitchens Are Most Popular Improvements
Painting is the most popular upgrade; nearly half (47%) of recent renovators gave their home a fresh coat. Next are bathroom (43%) and kitchen (40%) improvements. Exterior maintenance and landscaping are also popular, with 35% of renovators opting for those upgrades.
Climate resiliency is important to some homeowners, too: About one in seven (15%) added features to make their homes more resilient to natural disasters such as flooding, wind, fire and/or heat.
One way to fund renovations is with a cash-out refinance, which allows homeowners to use the equity they’ve built up in their house to pay for upgrades. Rocket Mortgage offers cash-out refinances, in which homeowners take out a bigger loan in exchange for putting cash in their pocket.
Home improvements not only provide homeowners with the space and features they need to make their house comfortable, but they can be worthwhile in the long run. “If you can afford it, investing time and money into making your house look and feel better can help when it comes time to sell,” said Jo Chavez, a Redfin Premier agent in Kansas City, MO. “Updated homes tend to sell faster than fixer-uppers, and for more money.”
Methodology
The survey results in this report are from a Redfin-commissioned survey fielded by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. The results for this combined group of survey respondents have a credibility interval of +/-1.9 percentage points.
This report is based on these questions from the survey:
- Which of the following best applies to you? Answer choices: I made improvements or renovations to my home within the past year, I plan to make improvements or renovations to my home in the next year, or neither statements apply to my situation.
- To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I made improvements or renovations to my home in the past year instead of moving to a new home. Answer choices: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree or disagree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree. For this report, we grouped together “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree.” This question was asked of respondents who said they made improvements or renovations to their home in the past year.
- To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: I plan to make improvements or renovations to my home in the next year instead of moving to a new home. Answer choices: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree or disagree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree. For this report, we grouped together “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree.” This question was asked of people who said they plan to make improvements or renovations to their home in the next year.
- How much did you spend on renovating/improving your home in the past year? All answer choices listed in the chart above. This question was asked of respondents who said they made improvements or renovations to their home in the past year.
- Which of the following improvements or renovations have you made to your home in the past year? All answer choices listed in the chart above. This question was asked of respondents who said they made improvements or renovations to their home in the past year.
Here’s the full survey questionnaire for questions referenced in this report.
