Sears Study Finds Different Views On Home Maintena
Hoffman Estates, IL, Nov. 21--Sears, Roebuck and Company, in conjunction with the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation and the NeighborWorks network, today announced survey results detailing American's attitudes toward home ownership, maintenance and repair.
Highlights of the survey include:
*Eighty percent of homeowners give themselves a "B" or better in home maintenance; 83 percent say they or their spouse/partner are handy.
*However, home maintenance skills, knowledge, and effectiveness vary by income level.
*Before buying their homes, half of all Americans never estimated cost of maintenance.
*Nearly nine in ten women have been, are, or expect to be solely responsible for a house, but are they prepared?
*Eighty-five percent of minority homeowners with children say it's very important for their children to own a home.
*Three-quarters of minority homeowners call home maintenance a major concern; almost one-third give themselves a "C" or less in home
maintenance.
*Thirty-two percent of minority homeowners: enjoy home care a great deal--almost twice the rate of non-minorities.
*While minorities value their homes and enjoy maintaining them, survey results indicate they don't always have the experience or financial resources to ensure timely home maintenance.
The homeowner survey was designed to measure how well Americans care for their homes, probe attitudes about homeownership, ascertain what Americans know about home care, and pinpoint areas where they could use assistance.
The nationwide random telephone poll of 1,002 adult homeowners was conducted between July 11 and July 27 by the national research firm of Mathew Greenwald & Associates. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3.1%.
