By Bill Darcy
As I shared in my recent conversation on Yahoo! Finance with Julie Hyman, our industry is experiencing what The Home Depot’s CFO Richard McPhail aptly termed a “deferral mindset” among homeowners. This is a trend that our latest NKBA research broadly echoes. Following The Home Depot’s Q2 earnings report, it’s clear that while interest in home improvement remains strong, many consumers are hesitating to move forward with their kitchen and bath projects.
However, with tariff-related price increases expected in 2026, I believe the time to remodel is now. Our industry has momentum behind it, thanks to exciting advances in smart home tech integration and an aging housing stock of 25+ million homes in their prime remodeling years.
The challenge isn’t a lack of interest or demand. It’s helping consumers recognize that waiting to renovate may cost them more in the long run. As K&B professionals, it’s important to be aware of this mindset held by many consumers, in order to help them navigate the current market conditions and take advantage of today’s opportunities before costs inevitably rise.
Watch my full Yahoo! Finance interview here.
