Practically happy: Home improvement trends toward simplicity, effectiveness, togetherness

Observation:  A recent story from USA Today suggests that when people can’t flip their home (at least not with the frequency we saw leading-up to the mortgage meltdown), they’re making their current house their dream home with simple but meaningful home improvements.  Click here to see the story.

Implications:   If you’re in real estate, home building, home improvement or even home furnishings, this story has important implications for you.  This story might suggest that home improvement is being driven less by aesthetics and more by the desire to facilitate the functionality of the home, and the increased time families are spending together.

Mike Anderson, for the Elm Street Economics consumer trends blog. A service of The Center for Sales Strategy, Inc.