What Do People Really Think Of Their Houses? Homeowners Tell All in New JELD-WEN Survey
Findings show energy efficiency, curb appeal will be top-of-mind in 2007

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. May 30, 2007 —

Homeowners are turning their attention toward improving overall energy efficiency and boosting their homes’ curb appeal, according to a recent home improvement study commissioned by JELD-WEN, a leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors. 

The new Perfect Home Survey is an inside look at current homeowner attitudes toward their houses, remodeling activity, and windows and doors. Independent research firm Knowledge Wave International conducted the nationwide online study on behalf of JELD-WEN.

Managing energy costs is going to be a priority for homeowners, especially those with older homes. The survey found that nearly a quarter of respondents have windows (22.6 percent) and doors (23.6 percent) that are drafty and inefficient. Using the same percentages, roughly 13 million single-family homes in the United States are wasting energy resources.

That’s no surprise, according to Rod Clark, a product marketing manager at JELD-WEN, due to the fact that the average age of U.S. homes is 32 years old.

“Energy efficiency is going to be a big topic in 2007 as fuel costs continue to rise and homes continue to get older,” said Clark. “Our survey shows that many homes would benefit from energy efficient windows and doors, which can save homeowners hundreds of dollars per year.

“Energy efficiency technology has also come a long way since the 1970s,” he added. “For example, JELD-WEN® windows and doors made with AuraLast® wood are guaranteed to resist moisture for 20 years, and come standard with Low-E glass to help keep homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer.”

According to the survey, it’s likely that many homeowners will take action in 2007 to enhance the energy efficient performance of their homes, and take advantage of a federal tax credit for installing energy efficient products that expires at the end of the year. Fifty percent of respondents are aware of the tax credit, and 43.1 percent will either definitely or probably undertake projects to take advantage of the tax break before it ends.

Overall, 13 percent plan on upgrading windows and exterior doors in the next 12 months.

Wanted: curb appeal
The Perfect Home Survey also gauges other attitudes related to windows and doors. The study found that curb appeal is a hot topic among homeowners, and that they recognize the role that doors play in enhancing exterior appearance. More than 87 percent feel a new front door definitely or probably adds value to overall curb appeal, while slightly more than 70 percent say the same about garage doors.

JELD-WEN discovered in the survey that most homeowners inherited their front door along with the house, and a majority say their current door does not reflect their personal style. When asked if they selected their front door, an overwhelming 65 percent said they had not, and 58 percent said they would have chosen something different.

“Owners want to be proud of how their homes look, and the survey clearly shows that front doors are a matter of personal taste,” said Shane Meisel, product marketing manager at JELD-WEN. “This finding is a great opportunity for builders and remodelers to reach out to homeowners and offer an upgraded front door that better reflects the buyer’s personal style.”
 
Other notable findings from the JELD-WEN Perfect Home Survey include:

Rise of the ranch
Given a choice between eight architectural styles, 26.2 percent of respondents said ranch was the type of home in which they would most like to live. Contemporary (20 percent) was the second most popular style. Other choices, ranked in order, were Old World Mediterranean, craftsman, cottage, colonial, and Victorian. Tudor was the least popular design.

Garage is now most common entrance
When asked to identify which exterior door they use the most when entering the home, the garage door was the number one answer among both men (42 percent) and women (41 percent). The front door was close behind as the second most used entrance.

Happy at home
The flurry of real estate activity driven by a hot market in the past couple of years seems to have helped homeowners land their dream home and location. The survey found that 79 percent of respondents currently love both their neighborhood and their house.

Making noise about noise
Noise is the number one neighborhood complaint in U.S. cities, according to the U.S. Census. The Perfect Home Survey supports this finding as 49 percent of respondents say their home is not quiet and would benefit from sound reducing products, like JELD-WEN interior doors with ProCore The Quiet Door® technology that are up to 50 percent quieter than hollow, flush doors. In addition, JELD-WEN laminated glass windows achieve an STC rating of 35, which can reduce even loud construction and traffic noise.

Remodeling in 2007
While 51 percent of respondents have no plans to remodel in the next 12 months, 45 percent say they are going to change elements in their home within the same time frame.

The survey results also revealed a few interesting disparities between men and women when it comes to remodeling. Both genders agree that the kitchen is the one room they want to change the most, however men are almost three times as likely to want to remodel a child’s room, while more women single out the master bedroom and small closets as top remodeling priorities. In addition, more than twice as many men as women say they are planning to change the garage door in the next 12 months.

Perfect Home Survey methodology
Nearly 1,000 qualified homeowners nationwide participated in the online survey. The sample group contained representatives from five age groups, all U.S. geographic regions, and a wide variety of income levels. The study was conducted in October 2006.

JELD-WEN Perfect Home Survey
Facts & Findings

• The garage door was the number one answer among both men (42 percent) and women (41 percent) when asked to identify which door they use most to enter the home.
• The largest percentage of respondents, 26.2 percent, said ranch was the style of home in which they would most like to live.
• 22.6 percent say they have windows that are drafty and inefficient.
• 23.6 percent say they have doors that are drafty and inefficient.
• 65 percent of homeowners did not select their current front door. 58 percent said they would have chosen something different.
• 87 percent feel a new front door definitely or probably adds value to overall curb appeal, while 70 percent said the same about garage doors.
• 79 percent of respondents currently love both their neighborhood and their house.
• More than 13 percent plan on upgrading windows (13.7 percent) and exterior doors (13.2 percent) in the next 12 months.
• 25 percent plan to remodel the garage in the next year.
• 45 percent said durability is the most important attribute of a garage door.
• 50 percent of respondents are aware of the federal tax credit for installing energy efficient products.
• 43.1 percent indicated they would either definitely or probably undertake projects to take advantage of the credit before the tax break ends.