Home reno spending was up $300B over pandemic, Re/Max Canada says

The report by Re/Max Canada looked at the role renovations and revitalization played in home values in the Toronto and Vancouver areas, Canada's two largest real estate markets.

A new report says a boost in spending on home renovations during the pandemic has helped contribute to higher prices for single-family homes despite downward market pressure.

The report by Re/Max Canada looked at the evolution of housing stock and trends affecting home values in the Toronto and Vancouver areas, Canada’s two largest real estate markets.

The report, released Tuesday, said national renovation spending increased by an estimated $300 billion between 2019 and 2023, led by home renewal and revitalization projects in the Toronto and Vancouver markets.

That marked an eight per cent jump from the previous five-year period.

The report said revitalization “remains one of the most underestimated factors behind escalating housing values.”

“The landscape is changing as a staggering amount of money is funnelled into renovation while infill is redefining neighbourhoods, particularly in areas where the value of existing structures has not kept pace with increasing land values,” said the report.

In urban planning, infill refers to building on underutilized land within existing areas that are largely developed.

“Case in point are wartime bungalows and smaller two-storey homes that continue to be primary targets, making way for custom builds that transform working-class neighbourhoods into up-and-coming hot pockets.”