For many homeowners, their home is not only their castle, it’s also their most valuable asset. So it makes sense for them to try to keep it in good condition. Data from the 1991 American Housing Survey (AHS) show that that’s exactly what most of them do.

This Brief examines the likelihood of homeowners spending money on home maintenance during a year’s time, how much they spent, and how the probability of spending (and the amount spent) varied by region, income, and other factors.

Home maintenance consists of regular activities necessary for the preventive care of the structure itselt, the property it sits on, and any fixed equipment. Included, then, are jobs like painting or papering a room, floor sanding, repairing fences, fixing water pipes, replacing furnace filters or broken windows, and repairs to air conditioning units, walls, or faucets. Landscaping and gardening costs, on the other hand, are excluded.

Others in Series

Publication

Who's Minding the Kids?

April 1994

This brief examines how children were cared for while their moms were at work and the costs of this care.

Publication

Health Insurance Coverage — Who Had a Lapse Between 1990 and 1992?

March 1994

This brief examines the likelihood of having a lapse in health insurance coverage over two different lengths of time – 12 months and 32 months.

Publication

Tracking the American Dream — Fifty Years of Housing Changes

April 1994

This brief explores how the American housing picture has changed during the last half-century.

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Related Information

Housing Publications

American Housing Survey (AHS)

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021

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