Over half of homeowners surveyed said they felt behind on home maintenance, according to a survey by 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, which revealed how homeowners feel socially pressured to take care of their properties.
It turns out that pressure from neighbors, family and friends can have a significant impact on homeowners’ maintenance plans.
Of those surveyed, 47% of homeowners said they’ve started worrying about a portion of their home only after a neighbor or friend mentioned their own problem. Home-related anxieties were most commonly triggered by these social factors:
- A neighbor mentioning a recent home repair (30%)
- Social media (24%)
- Seeing a contractor’s truck in the neighborhood (21%)
- Visiting friends/family (21%)
- Social conversations (19%)
For Gen Zers, 56% of homeowners reported home anxiety due to social media, and 34% said their anxiety was triggered by a group chat or conversation on NextDoor, the popular neighborhood community platform.
Overall, homeowners confessed to spending an average of $3,017 due to social pressure around home maintenance, with HOA members spending even more – an average of $4,426.
Among homeowner friends, the top topics of conversation include:
- Maintenance (93%)
- Repairs (87%)
- Landscaping (62%)
- Professional recommendations (50%)
- Money anxiety (49%)
In general, homeownership is a hot topic among 62% of neighbors, including 70% of HOA members and 58% of non-HOA members. HOA members were also more likely to develop a fear of missing maintenance after talking with neighbors (53%).
The survey garnered other responses that showed the impact of social pressure on home upkeep as well:
- 58% of homeowners said they compete with their neighbors over landscaping
- 44% said they compete with their neighbors over curb appeal
- 36% said they’ve changed their home’s exterior after noticing a neighbor did the same
- 20% said they’ve purchased home technology like a doorbell camera because their neighbor did so