The residential kitchen and bath industry is valued at $130.8 billion, according to the modified 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). The updated report takes into account the changes to the industry resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"Our initial 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook was conducted in late 2019, before the pandemic hit our members and homeowners in the U.S. and Canada," Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO said in a news release. "Kitchen and bath spending had been increasing steadily prior to the pandemic at 9% in 2018 and 4% in 2019. As such, the original report projected a strong 2020, bolstered by an especially bright Q1. While the COVID-19 crisis, unsurprisingly, led to a double-digit decline in spending across all major categories, we are already seeing signs of positive growth as shelter-in-place orders are lifted, and we’re optimistic about the industry’s long-term health.”
The study, conducted by John Burns Real Estate Consulting, found 81% of kitchen and bath remodeling projects were postponed or canceled as of mid-April, but homeowners said they plan to reschedule 70% of those projects in 2020. Kitchen spending declined by 25% during the COVID-19 pandemic, while master bathroom spending declined by 18% and secondary bath spending decreased by 14%, according to the report. According to the NKBA, spending on medium and large projects were more impacted than spending on smaller projects, and for projects that continued through the pandemic, designers were less likely to be used than before the pandemic.
Homeowners cited fewer resources, fear of outsiders coming into their home, limited access to industry professionals, less income, and fear of job loss as the largest hurdles to home improvement during the crisis. Homeowners did report a greater opportunity for DIY work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and more time to focus on home projects.
The study found that 19% of remodeling jobs carried on through the pandemic, with only 35% of respondents saying they hired a professional to do the work. Half of respondents reported completing remodeling projects earlier in the year and 42% of respondents postponed projects due to COVID-19. One of every three projects relied on a combination of DIY and a professional or friend, according to the NKBA.
Nearly one-third of respondents said the pandemic changed they way they use or think about their kitchen or bath. One in five households with at least one member working from home indicated a desire to renovate their kitchen and bath in response to the pandemic.
The data presented in the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook is compiled from the U.S. Census American Housing Microdata, National Apartment Association Spending, National Association of Realtors, Moody's Analytics, Home Innovation Research Labs data, and John Burns Real Estate Consulting's home improvement estimates and forecasts. The consumer sentiment results were generated by a survey of 500 consumers to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on spending levels.
