The pandemic continues to affect our daily lives. As such, experts think the new normal will likely stay with us indefinitely. It’s not the best news to hear, but one we can use to our advantage.
Home services, for instance, saw a sudden rise in demand. With stay-at-home orders in place, people required home offices and enhanced living spaces. They also sought out the benefits of being outdoors without actually going out. So they remodeled their lawns or had luxurious landscapes designed.
And these trends will continue in 2022. The global market of home improvement products is anticipated to rise at a sizable rate between 2022 and 2026. Currently, the market is growing at a steady pace as key players adopt new strategies. In addition, new trends are about to emerge, prompting a demand for new home upgrades and other services.
That said, here are the best home improvement ideas for 2022:
1. Spaces for Wellness and Sustainability
Wellness and sustainability aren’t just buzzwords anymore. They’ve become lifestyles that proved beneficial for our connection with nature. Hence, more homes will likely seek out wellness-focused spaces with sustainable building materials.
According to Laetitia Laurent of Laure Nell Interiors, homes have become a reprieve, hence we want to find joy in them. So expect more demands for steam rooms, hot tubs, Zen gardens, or smart appliances from your business.
For building materials, homeowners will choose renewable ones like bamboo, recycled steel and glass, and cork. They’ll also look for energy-efficiency upgrades like home automation features. And because the threat of COVID-19 persists, homeowners may also invest in enhanced HVAC filtration systems.
2. Home Office Upgrades
In 2020 through 2021, people often settled for temporary home offices. Their setups were either rudimentary or hybrid. Some continued to use their bedrooms or dining rooms as workspaces. They just upgraded their tech to support higher-quality Zoom calls.
But now, with the pandemic still forcing companies to go remote, people will look for permanent setups. They may convert underused rooms — like guest rooms — into offices. Sitting rooms inside bedrooms will become a workspace. If there are not enough spare rooms or spaces, they’ll be made double-duty. For example, a typical guestroom converted into a loft-style room, in which the lower floor serves as the office.
3. Disaster-proof Repairs
Some home improvement projects will be more focused on preventative measures instead of aesthetics. That includes disaster-proof or disaster-preparedness repairs. As incidents of climate-related disasters increase, around 25% of homeowners would spend on disaster preparedness. Homeowners from the most vulnerable areas, such as Miami, Dallas, Raleigh, and Houston would spend at least twice as much as the national average of disaster spending.
4. Side-hustle Spaces
Some people may need a side-hustle space, a work area separated from their home office. The millennial and Gen Z markets are the ones most likely to demand them. Side-hustles can be for a small business, passion project, or a creative studio. With TikTok and Instagram Reels dominating social media, it’s not surprising that young adults are seeking creative spaces. Hence, you may have your hands full of extension or single-room makeover projects.
5. Outdoor Kitchens
In 2020 and 2021, we’re all about indoor kitchen remodeling. Now, the heart of the home will find a place in the backyard, too. The pandemic urged us to actually use our yards for gatherings. So as we wait for the travel restrictions to fully ease down, homeowners will use outdoor kitchens for family barbecues and other social activities.
Preparing Your Business for New Demands
Your business is probably still catching up with the delays you encountered in the last two years. It doesn’t help that the construction industry is short on workers, too. To accommodate the demands for the services above, you need tools and equipment designed to boost productivity without as much labor.
Consider upgrading your heavy equipment fleet. You may need the latest model of track loaders for sale, excavators, backhoes, and others. Include technology in your upgrades, too. Heavy construction equipment now comes with smart controls, allowing operators to complete and polish more tasks at a time.
Improve the quality of your safety and protective gear as well. Since construction workers are scarce, you can’t afford to lose more of them now. Procure new hard hats, steel-toe boots or other types of safety shoes, eye protection, gloves, and high-visibility jackets.
Re-examine your work policies, too. You may be compelling your workers to render overtime to avoid any more delays. But that’s an unhealthy way to deal with your projects and workers. To finish projects with minimal problems, you need well-conditioned and motivated workers. So make the equipment put in the hours instead of the workers. An updated fleet of equipment will boost site productivity without sacrificing your workers’ well-being.
With these new trends and positive forecasts, your home improvement business can have a great year ahead. So, procure the right resources to ensure just that.
