Biggest Expenditures for New Home Buyers

Trends
Published

NAHB analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that during the first year after closing on a home sale, home buyers tend to spend considerably more money on furnishings, appliances and remodeling compared to non-moving owners. Buyers of new homes spend four times as much as non-moving owners and twice as much as buyers of existing homes.

Top Expenditures

Alterations and repairs:

  • New home buyers - $11,930
  • Buyers of existing homes - $5,761
  • Non-moving owners - $2,966

Furnishings:

  • New home buyers - $5,122
  • Buyers of existing homes - $2,665
  • Non-moving owners - $904

Appliances:

  • New home buyers - $4,254
  • Buyers of existing homes - $2,499
  • Non-moving owners - $1,442

Although home buyers tend to spend considerably more on furnishings, appliances and property alterations compared to non-moving owners, most of the demand for appliances, furnishings and remodeling projects in a given year is generated by non-moving home owners, because they outnumber home buyers by such a wide margin.

Dr. Natalia Siniavskaia, NAHB assistant vice president for housing policy research, details popular items among these categories and helps explain spending behavior in this Eye on Housing post.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Land Development | Advocacy

Aug 29, 2025

Mapping Impact Fee Statutes Across the U.S.

NAHB has developed a new state-by-state map of impact fee enabling statutes designed to give builders, policymakers and housing advocates a clearer picture of where and how these fees are authorized across the country.

Material Costs

Aug 29, 2025

NAHB's Monthly Update Features Canadian Lumber Duties Talking Points

The update provides the latest messaging framework to help members articulate housing priorities and latest news related to the Canadian lumber imports and builder sentiment.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Aug 29, 2025

Multifamily Absorption Rises in the Second Quarter

The percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion rose in the second quarter, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release of the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA).

Economics

Aug 28, 2025

Mortgage Rates Move Lower, Hitting 10-Month Low

Average mortgage rates in August continued their steady decline and are now at their lowest rate since last November.

Economics

Aug 27, 2025

Wood-Framed Home Share Increased in 2024

Wood framing continues to dominate the U.S. single-family home construction market, according to NAHB analysis of 2024 Census Bureau data.