A Quarter of Americans Believe a 'Dream Kitchen' Would Make Marriage Happier

A new survey from HSH.com asked homeowners what home improvement would make their marriages happier, with a dream kitchen, a bigger yard and walk-in closets among the top answers.

Foster City, Calif. (PRWEB) August 11, 2014

When it comes to home improvements enhancing marital bliss, a “dream kitchen” is the top addition on the wish list of Americans, according to a new survey of 2,000 homeowners by HSH.com.

A bigger yard, finished basement, walk-in closets and a man cave were other popular answers.

Here is how married individuals ranked their most desired home improvements:

1.    Dream kitchen – 23.39%
2.    Bigger yard – 19.06%
3.    Finished basement – 16.46%
4.    His & hers walk-in closets – 15.23%
5.    Man cave – 13.72%
6.    Two master bathrooms – 12.20%
7.    Two master bedrooms – 9.96%

While 58.7 percent of respondents said that a bigger house would also equal happier children, 58.6 percent said that a larger abode wouldn't necessarily mean they'd be having more kids.

These improvements don't come cheap, though, with a state-of-the-art kitchen costing $109,935, according to Remodeling.com.

"At least in this case, happiness costs money," said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com. "Some of these bliss-inducing improvements will require either deep pockets or a deep equity position and the use of a home equity loan or line of credit to make them come true. If the project will require extensive renovations, a 'home improvement mortgage' such as the FHA 203K or a Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation mortgage may be the vehicle to achieve some of these happiness goals. Of course, some desired 'improvements', such as a larger yard, might only be realized by finding a new home."

While a dream kitchen was the top answer both overall and for women, a man cave was the No. 1 addition that husbands would like to see. In fact, each gender had polar opposite rankings of what improvements would make them the happiest.

Men's top improvements:

1.    Man cave
2.    Two master bathrooms
3.    Bigger yard
4.    Two master bedrooms
5.    Finished basement
6.    His & hers walk-in closets
7.    Dream kitchen

Women's top improvements:

1.    Dream kitchen
2.    His & hers walk-in closets
3.    Finished basement
4.    Two master bedrooms
5.    Bigger yard
6.    Two master bathrooms
7.    Man cave

You can read the entire article here: http://www.hsh.com/finance/real-estate/home-improvements-happy-marriage.html

Methodology

HSH.com commissioned a survey of 2,000 homeowners in December 2013.

About HSH.com

HSH.com is a trusted source of mortgage data, trends, news and analysis. Since 1979, HSH's market research and commentary has helped homeowners, buyers and sellers make smart financial choices and save money on mortgage and home equity products. HSH.com, of Riverdale, N.J., is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. QNST, one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in ethical marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08/prweb12085077.htm