Home Improvements for New England and Colonial America

For home improvements, the area defined by upper colonial America—New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland—has several projects that dominate the region and swamp national trends. This region is home to the old housing stock in the country, where the median year for a home's construction is generally before 1970 and, in some cases, before 1960. Meanwhile, the fierce winter and relatively mild summer play huge roles in the climate-controlled homes of this region. ServiceMagic—industry leader for online resources connecting homeowners to home improvement contractor—reveals telling numbers from the last three years for home improvements across the country. In terms of necessity and value, maintenance and architectural legacies, the following projects define home improvement in New England and upper colonial America.

The Old and the New: Heating and Cooling Solutions
No matter where you live in this region, the first priority is often preparing for and surviving winter. Many homes throughout the region were built with boiler/radiator systems, before furnace and forced air systems became widely available. As long as the system stays in reasonable working condition, there is often little incentive to switch, as boilers tend to be more efficient than furnaces and provide more comfortable heating. Thus, boiler/radiator heating system repair and service tends to be focused in the New England area. Last year, in Boston, there was 1 online request for repair or service to a boiler heating system for every 13,965 city residents, nearly five times the national average. Data from 2006—before this past year spurned many homeowners to convert to gas-fired systems—was even more pronounced.

Many residences throughout this region were built without central air conditioning. Mild summers make it hard for many to justify the expense of central air but want something to combat the hottest weeks of the year. Although few people would characterize the summers in New York City as tame, most residences in the Big Apple also don't have central air. Unsurprisingly, this city leads the way for the installation of window A/C units. Last year, the city saw 1 online request for every 23,818 residents, three times the national average. In fact, nearly 20 percent of all the requests for these units come from N.Y.C.

The Hidden Gem of Colonial America: Siding Replacement
According to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report, the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions underperform compared to the nation in terms of resale value for home remodels, including kitchen and bath remodels, deck additions and roofing replacement. In fact, there is only one project where this region fares better than the rest of the nation—vinyl siding replacement. While the average cost of vinyl siding installation, nationwide, is $10,256 and recoups 80.7 percent of its cost, in the Mid-Atlantic region—defined by New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—the average cost of vinyl siding installation is $10,455 and recoups a solid 85.7 percent of its cost. In terms of popularity, ServiceMagic supports this trend, with the City of Brotherly Love leading the way. In Philadelphia, there was 1 request for vinyl siding for every 13,038 residents, 33 percent stronger than the national average, a solid number for a siding material that is popular throughout the country.

Older Housing Stock Equals Greater Home Maintenance
It's a pretty obvious connection, and one that plays itself out in multiple home improvement areas. One great wide-angle lens for home maintenance, however, is the prevalence of requests for handymen. ServiceMagic includes options to request a handyman for multiple projects or specifically for painting/staining, carpentry, electrical, or plumbing work among others. Baltimore and Washington, D.C. are great examples of cities that see a tremendous rate of requests for handymen, between 2-3 times the national average, with Baltimore at 1 request for every 1,553 residents and D.C. at 1 request for 1,191 residents.

Washington, D.C.: Our Nation's Home Improvement Capitol
The convergence of our nation's past and future holds no better standard-bearer than the capitol. From appliance and plumbing repair to lawn care and carpet cleaning, Washington, D.C. leads the nation in the raw number and population-based requests. This past year, Washington, D.C. registered 144,665 online home improvement requests or approximately 1 request for every 36.7 people, almost exactly double the national average of 1 request for every 71.9 people. Supported by data from previous years, this makes our nation's capitol, the number one metropolitan area for home improvements.

Rate This Article

OVERALL RATING

YOUR RATING

Saving Rating...

Log-in to save your ratings!

Recommend This Article

Digg
Reddit
Del.icio.us

ServiceMagic Articles To-Go