There is nothing like being stuck at home over an extended period to convince the average Alabamian that leaky roof is getting worse; that sticking door is a menace; those clanging pipes must go; and indeed, your family has outgrown your existing layout and you do need to enlarge the bathroom, knock out a wall, or modernize the kitchen!

According to the Hearth Home Improvement Index, which looks at the number of applications for home improvement loans in every state, Alabama residents filled their stay-at-home pandemic time with much-need, often long-planned home improvement projects.

Alabama ranked in the top ten states nationally for initiating home improvement projects in 2021 and Huntsville was among the top five cities in Alabama for securing home loans for a variety of remodeling projects coming out of the pandemic.

Those projects found Huntsville residents averaging $20,125 in interior remodeling projects. They also spent an average of $8,166 on roofing projects; $5,910 in fence and deck building projects; $5,500 on security systems; and $15,700 in “other” home improvements like HVAC, plumbing, foundation repair, etc.

The commercial and residential construction industry contributes many of the current construction supply shortages and persistent disruption of the supply chain on the boost in professional and do-it-yourself home improvement projects during the pandemic. And they did them despite rising material costs and shortages.

Barry Oxley, executive officer with the Huntsville Madison County Builders Association said that if you go back to the beginning of the pandemic more than a year ago, construction never shut down and the supply chain never shut down, but priorities shifted to the healthcare and food industries.

“In the meantime, builders continued to complete remodeling projects, repairing roofs, and replacing windows and doors, while people at home considered it an ideal time to redo the kitchen or bathroom.

“The supply chain got derailed and it hasn’t fully come back,” said Oxley.

The study also found that nationally, baby boomers aged 57 to 75 are more likely to invest in masonry projects and swimming pools, while both Gen X (age 41-56) and millennials (age 23-38) are more inclined to remodel their homes. The demographic known as Gen Z comprised of twenty-somethings took out the most construction loans.