 Americans are generally comfortable with their level of home maintenance expertise. Perhaps that’s why they would rather do their own repairs than call in a professional.
A recent study by Sears, Roebuck & Co. noted that 44% of homeowners rarely or never use outside service professionals. Why?
Mostly homeowners want to save money. That’s the reason given by 47% of the do-it-yourselfers. Another 20% believe they can do the job better. Friends, relatives, and neighbors appear to provide the most (43%) guidance for do-it-yourself projects. Books and references are used by another 20%.
Women are significantly more likely than men to use a service professional. Among single women homeowners, 37% said they always or often use outside professionals. Only 17% of men homeowners and 16% of couple homeowners are willing to do so.
Among those who do get professional help, 44% complain that it is getting harder to find qualified home service professionals. Lower-income families are more likely than higher-income households to run into such a problem.
Those earning less than $35,000 say that the expense is the biggest challenge in securing services of a qualified service professional. Homeowners earning more than $75,000 annually most often complain that the professionals are too busy or don’t return phone calls.
Homeowners who use professionals are generally positive about the experience. Sixty-two percent graded their last experience as an “A” while another 23% gave it a “B.”
Most (56%) of all homeowners say women are treated with less respect than men are by contractors and service people. However, when asked to rate their experiences with service professionals, both men and women gave the pros about the same rating.
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“The differences between people’s perceptions and experiences may reflect the fact that old stereotypes die hard,” says Georgeann Georges, vice president and general manager of Sears’ in-home product repair services division. “On the other hand, the survey may be saying that there is more to the service experience than technical expertise.
“Given the primary home maintenance role that many women have and even more will be taking on, more attention needs to be paid to the needs and concerns of the female homeowner,” Georges adds.
For some homebuyers, the amount of money it takes for home maintenance comes as a big shock. Many homeowners at every level ignore the financial implications of home care when deciding to buy a home.
Exactly half of those responding to the Sears survey said they estimated what it would cost to live in and maintain their homes before they bought them. Lower-income families were less likely (40%) to have done this analysis than higher-income households (64%).
“Buying a home without figuring out what it will cost to maintain is like buying a car without making sure you have gas money, let alone the money for an oil change or basic repairs,” says Margo Kelly, interim executive director of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. “That’s why homeowner counseling — before and after the purchase — helps homebuyers understand the financial responsibility they are taking on is critical to their long-term success.
“A homeowner’s job is just starting when he or she crosses the threshold. Homeowners need to be prepared to deal with a broken furnace or leaking roof.”
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