Biggest Expenditures for New Home Buyers
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.
Latest from NAHBNow
Financing
Nov 04, 2025
Mortgage Rates Reach Lowest Average in Over Than a YearMortgage rates in October fell to their lowest average in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25% in October, 10 basis points (bps) lower than in September and 17 bps lower than a year ago.
Codes and Standards
Nov 03, 2025
Delaware Pauses State Energy Code Overhaul After HBA's ConcernsLast week, Gregory Patterson, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), wrote to building industry stakeholders that he was declining to approve the Department’s own proposal to create one of the most aggressive energy codes in the country.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Nov 04, 2025
The International Builders’ Show: The Leading Economic Forecast Event of the YearEvery year, NAHB and other industry experts and economists bring their latest insights to the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). For 2026, IBS offers an unparalleled lineup of IBS Education sessions that cover every sector of the housing industry: single-family, multifamily, remodeling, design trends, and building materials.
Economics
Nov 03, 2025
Laundry Room Locations in New Homes and Apartments, 2024In 2024, most new single-family homes included laundry connections on the first floor (70%), according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. The first floor is also where most customers prefer to have the laundry, as shown in Chapter 2 of What Home Buyers Really Want.
Economics
Oct 31, 2025
Lowest Mortgage Rates in Over a Year in OctoberAverage mortgage rates in October trended downward to the lowest rates in over a year. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.25% in October, 10 basis points (bps) lower than September.