Weather-related home repairs highest in Atlantic Canada: survey

Buildings are seen in floodwater following a major rain event in Halifax on Saturday, July 22, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

TORONTO -

Homeowners in Atlantic Canada completed the highest number of emergency repairs due to weather-related events in the past year, according to HomeStars' latest renovation report.

One-third of homeowners across Canada who renovated or repaired their properties in the past year made weather-related repairs, while 41 per cent of those in Atlantic Canada specifically said they did emergency repairs, many of them because of catastrophic flooding.

The survey shows 79 per cent of respondents say sustainability was important when choosing building materials for renovations, while 59 per cent who renovated over the last 12 months chose green products.

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HomeStars CEO Shir Magen says while inflation and interest rates put a damper on overall spending on repairs and renovations, 73 per cent of Canadians surveyed still plan to do at least one home renovation in the next 12 months.

The report says Canadian homeowners spent an average of $12,300 on renovations in the past year but spending in the coming 12 months will likely be lower, at an average of $10,264.

The survey, conducted by HomeStars, polled 1,105 homeowners aged 23 and older who had renovated or repaired their homes in the past year between July 20 and 27. The poll cannot be assigned a margin of error because online surveys are not considered truly random samples.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.