GOOD NEWS: On home decorating, New local social network

Via Digit Matheny, Carolina One, special to Charleston Currents  |  Thinking about remodeling? You’re not alone. According to a report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, home improvement spending in the U.S. is up more than 50 percent since 2010.

The study found that, “Spending on improvements and repairs to the US housing stock continued on an upward trend in 2017, setting a new high of $424 billion. This represents a 10 percent increase from 2015 and more than 50 percent gain from the low in 2010.” 

According to the analysis, 22 million homeowners across the country completed at least one home improvement project in 2017.”The report[…] attributed part of the increase to a shortage of new construction and a reliance on aging housing stock that requires upkeep and repair,” said The New York Times. “Other factors include higher housing prices that have increased the available equity for home improvement loans, and a growing population of older homeowners who are financially equipped to pay for renovations.”

The primary “spenders” fall into three main categories: Homeowners using surging equity to make improvements, homeowners playing catch-up on deferred maintenance and updates, and rental property owners.

The average expenditure on home improvement was rather modest; 40 percent of participants reported spending less than $2,500, and almost 75 percent spent less than $10,000.

The most common project in 2017 was adding or replacing flooring, with 5.2 million homeowners, or 7 percent, upgrading their floors. The next most common projects were:

• Adding or replacing plumbing fixtures
• Built-in dishwashers or garbage disposals
• New windows or doors
• New water heaters

In other area news:

Hyperlocal social media network:  The GoodSharing Network is a new hyperlocal free social media platform that seeks to better serve the needs of individuals and organizations trying to make Charleston a better community.  Said Todd Chas, founder of Charleston Good:  “Imagine a completely ad-free social network where you actually will see what your friends share and reach the people you’re trying to reach. Imagine a single platform where eager volunteers and needy organizations can effectively find one another. Imagine an online community that cares more about you and Charleston than about revenue streams. Now stop imagining and come join us because that is what we have built.”

Sign up for free.

New Brew Hop Pass:  If you love experiencing the local craft brew scene, you can now get discounts through a new Brew Hop Pass app.  The pass will include discounts such as “buy a pint get a pint” at 28 of Charleston’s top breweries and taprooms.  The pass, which offers discounts of up to $185 a month, comes in three forms: A two-day pass for $14.99, a monthly pass for $29.99 and an annual pass for $289, which is two months for free.  Learn more and see how the pass works.

Defense Summit’s registration is open:  You can now register for the 13th annual Defense Summit by the  Charleston Defense Contractors Association (CDCA)—a non-profit advocacy group focused on the growth of defense and technology-related industries in Charleston and Lowcountry Region.  With more than 1,200 anticipated attendees and speakers at the top of their fields, the summit’s “Accelerate to Dominate” theme will focus discussions about technologies that increase the speed of warfighting innovation.  The event will occur Dec. 11-12 at the Charleston Area Convention Center. More info.

ACA enrollment begins today. Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, and the state could see higher interest in the plans as rates fall and more providers are available. Read more.

Previous coverage: Palmetto Project works to find coverage for S.C. residents in unprecedented ways. 

Previous coverage: Hundreds in S.C. have died without expanded Medicaid, study finds.  

Green groups to sue over plastic pellets. Environmental groups including the Southern Environmental Law Center and Charleston Waterkeeper are filing a lawsuit against Frontier Logistics for spilling plastic pellets that have washed up on Sullivans Island. Read more. 

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