You don’t have to live at the lake to enjoy a serene water feature at home.
Online home improvement platform Thumbtack, which refers professionals for maintenance, repairs and upgrades to users’ homes, has compiled a list of top 10 outdoor trending projects. Six of them have the potential to improve the health and safety potential of your living space.
1. Weatherization
This trend is up 118% year over year, and can add resilience to your home, as well as comfort to your indoor living. Weatherization includes tuning up your heating and cooling systems, installing storm windows and doors, updating insulation, repairing roof and wall leaks and other measures that keep your home safe through the harsh weather winter brings. And, of course, some of these changes can reduce your utility bills. (The Department of Energy has savings programs for eligible homeowners.)
2. Holiday Lighting Installation
This trend is up 116% year over year and brings joy to residents and communities alike. While this may not seem like a wellness enhancer, comfort and joy are an important facet of wellness design. With so many stressors in life, delighting in your decorations gives a lift to your spirits.
There are social media pages dedicated to the most festive neighborhoods, giving families and neighbors a chance to enjoy shared positivity. Unlike in decades past, today’s holiday lights are generally energy efficient, ensuring that your December electric bill won’t make you sad – at least not from your holiday lighting!
Here are some safety tips to consider from HouseLogic before hanging those lights.
3. Pest Inspection
This trend is up 50% year over year and can keep pets and humans safer and healthier. Insects and rodents can carry disease and trigger other health issues, like asthma and allergies, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. They can also damage home wiring, potentially causing fires, the EPA notes.
As homeowners are already appreciating, preventing problems is a proactive way to protect your household. The pest control industry has increased from $14.3 billion in 2012 to more than $24 billion in 2023, according to Statista, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% from 2023 to 2031, so this finding by Thumbtack is in line with industry trends.
4. Home Security System Repair
This trend is up 47% year over year and can ensure that your loved ones are safer than if there’s a known or unknown issue. You definitely don’t want to discover that when there’s a threat! Canadian Security Professionals, an Ontario area-based security provider, lists the most common problems homeowners face: new technology not pairing with old, blind spots, false alarms, power interruptions, hacks.
5. Hot Tub and Spa Repair
This trend is up 46% year over year and it’s no wonder. There are numerous health benefits associated with their use – when done safely for many users – and growing awareness of their benefits. These include stress relief, improved blood sugar management, better sleep, and more, according to Healthline in a medically-reviewed post updated on October 9, 2024. (There are individuals who should not use these facilities, including those with heart disease, skin injuries, low blood pressure, certain infections and pregnancies, according to the site.)
Poorly maintained fixtures can be extremely dangerous. “Between 2015 and 2019, outbreaks from treated pools and hot tubs resulted in at least 3,646 cases of illness, 286 hospitalizations, and 13 deaths in the U.S. — data reported by 36 states. When hot tubs aren’t cleaned well, their moist environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria,” reported WebMD in a medically-reviewed July 3, 2023 post. Bacteria and other germs can make you ill, as well, and a hot tub that’s heated above 104 degrees Fahrenheit can be dangerous.
6. Water Feature Installation
This trend is up 44% year over year, as more homeowners take advantage of the mental health benefits of these fixtures. Sports medicine physician Gregory Charlop, M.D., detailed them in a May 2, 2023 article I wrote for Forbes.com: “Spending time near water profoundly impacts our emotional and mental well-being. According to research, the presence of water, or ‘blue space,’ can reduce stress, improve mood and promote relaxation.” More homeowners can afford to add a water fountain, pond, water wall or other architectural feature to their home than can afford to relocate to a location closer to the coast, lake or river. This is definitely a wellness trend!
Last Words
To arrive at its report findings, Thumbtack looked at its database from September 2023 to September 2024 to spot projects with the greatest increase year over year by both trend and volume.
The outdoor section of the report concludes this way: “Homeowners are prioritizing must-do maintenance while still having fun with a few aesthetic improvements. With weatherization, cleaning, and routine repair projects up, homeowners are getting all their preventative tasks completed before winter rolls in. But they’re also splurging a little – with projects like holiday light installations and water feature installations bubbling up on the trending projects list.”
Here’s a link to the Thumbtack Indoor Trends article from November 5, 2024.