Рост цен на стройматериалы заставляет домовладельцев пересматривать планы ремонта и откладывать проекты

Home Improvement Projects Are Blowing Past Budgets—Here’s How Homeowners Are Responding Key Takeaways - Nearly half of homeowners who recently hired a pro went over budget, and more than a third of those exceeded it by at least 30%. - Cost pressures are pushing homeowners to prioritize repairs and maintenance over renovations. - Still, two-thirds plan a major home investment within five years, while over half expect to act within three months. You get a quote for a home improvement project, then end up paying way more. Sound familiar? Plenty of homeowners have found themselves in this position, scrambling to cover an already-expensive job, and sometimes wondering if they should have started it at all. According to a new report from Angi, which connects homeowners with local pros such as plumbers, roofers, and electricians, that experience has become common enough to reshape how people are approaching home projects. Rising costs are pushing some homeowners to focus on necessary repairs and maintenance, while putting less-essential upgrades on the back burner. Nearly Half of Homeowners Who Hire a Pro Are Going Over Budget Angi’s 2026 State of Home Spending Pulse found that 43% of homeowners who recently hired a pro to fix up their house ended up spending more than planned. And the overruns weren’t small. More than one-third of those who went over budget exceeded it by at least 30%. These developments, fueled in part by rising materials and labor costs, are making homeowners more cautious about taking on home improvements. That pressure is showing up not just in how much homeowners spend, but in the kinds of projects they’re choosing to take on. When Angi asked what would make people more likely to move forward with work they’ve been planning, cheaper materials and easing inflation topped the list, suggesting a lot of homeowners are essentially sitting on the sidelines until conditions improve. Why This Matters Home improvement projects can easily cost more than expected, so building a contingency cushion into your budget can help absorb overruns without throwing off the rest of your finances. Homeowners Are Prioritizing Repairs and Putting Renovations on Hold With costs weighing on household budgets, homeowners appear to be prioritizing the work that needs to get done over projects that would simply be nice to have. Angi’s data shows a clear tilt toward essential upkeep over discretionary upgrades, with roughly 6 in 10 homeowners completing maintenance or repair work, compared with just 35% who finished a renovation. That gap suggests homeowners are still spending on their homes, but they’re becoming more selective about where the money goes. Routine upkeep and necessary fixes are taking precedence over bigger, more discretionary improvements. Advertisement Cost is the biggest reason projects stall: 54% of homeowners said work they planned was too expensive. But price isn’t the only factor. Nearly a quarter of homeowners who delayed a project cited an unplanned repair—such as a burst pipe or a failed water heater—as the reason. That kind of work can’t wait, so when it comes up, it tends to take priority. Other reasons cited for delaying home upgrades include job security concerns, competing personal priorities, difficulty finding an available pro, high borrowing costs, not having enough time, and a shortage of key materials. For homeowners trying to stretch a budget right now, Angi’s researchers recommend three things: prioritizing safety issues and preventive maintenance, building a cost cushion into any estimate, and considering smaller updates instead of a full renovation when funds are tight. While Some Are Delaying Projects, Others Are Rushing to Beat Higher Prices Rising home improvement costs aren’t putting everyone off. More than one in four homeowners say they’re accelerating projects specifically to get ahead of future price increases. And more than half are aiming to start or continue a project within the next three months. Expecting cost pressures to persist is a reasonable assumption. The American Institute of Architects’ July 2026 Consensus Construction Forecast notes that the sharp rise in oil prices earlier this year could still feed through to construction costs in the coming months. Historically, a 10% year-over-year rise in Brent crude has produced a 4% to 5% increase in material prices roughly three months later, it finds. That could matter in the months ahead, since oil prices rose 54%, 66%, and 36% year-over-year in April, May, and June, respectively. Tariffs add another layer of pressure. The Tax Policy Center estimates that current tariffs on building materials will add roughly $30 billion to residential investment costs. But even homeowners who are holding off don’t appear ready to wait indefinitely. Despite near-term caution, confidence in the long-term value of home investment remains high, with 66% of homeowners planning to make a major home investment within the next five years. These intentions, amid an uncertain economic backdrop, show how highly Americans value improving their homes. Nearly everyone surveyed said their homes help them manage stress, that recent improvements have boosted their day-to-day happiness, and that investing in their home ranks among the smartest financial decisions they’ve made. For homeowners considering a project soon, that enthusiasm may need to be balanced against the risk of higher-than-expected costs. Building room into the budget beyond the initial quote can make those surprises easier to absorb. Read the original article on Investopedia