Some British Columbians have pandemic renovation regret

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Are you one of the many people who have done a home renovation during the pandemic? If so, you certainly aren’t alone but it appears not everyone is happy with the changes they made.

A new BC Hydro report finds the pandemic triggered a spike in home renovations, but about 20 per cent of B.C. homeowners regret their choices because they focused on aesthetics instead of actually boosting the value of their home.

According to the report, 35 per cent of people did the work to make the home more attractive, while 29 per cent did it to improve overall “comfort.” Another 10 per cent did it because they had more time, while a similar number made changes to save energy.

Of those with regrets, more than half did the renovations themselves. Bathroom and kitchen renos were the top regrets, followed by changes to flooring.

Related article: Spend on haircuts, home renos, restaurants to stimulate Canadian recovery: economists

Many said they wished they had used different products and spent more time planning it all out.

BC Hydro says about 60 per cent of homeowners in B.C. believe improving the look of their home will increase the resale value. But the utility company says aesthetic changes won’t necessarily increase or maintain value in the long-term.

Instead, BC Hydro suggests homeowners focus on energy-saving and maintenance upgrades, such as updating the heating/cooling system.

But it seems homeowners in B.C. aren’t slowing down on their renovations, with more than 40 per cent planning another project this spring.