State of the Home: Canadians Refuse to Give Up Three Things, Despite Inflation

TORONTO — Nov. 15, 2022 — A new Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) State of the Home survey of Canadian homeowners examined the impact inflation is having on the Canadian home with almost 90% of respondents reporting that inflation is impacting their household budget. More than 60% said that the higher prices that have resulted from inflation has caused them to put off home repairs, renovations or upgrades.

The survey also looked at what Canadians are most willing to give up – or conversely, least willing – to help balance their budgets. Dining out, vacation, and streaming TV service topped the list of what Canadians are least willing to give up to save money, while regular pet grooming, sports club or pool memberships, and professional lawn care would be the first to go if budgets got tight.

“Inflation is impacting most every facet of our lives right now. The vast majority of Canadians say their budgets have been impacted, so our survey dug into where Canadians are choosing to continue to spend money and in what areas they are willing to cut back,” said Mike Van Horne, General Manager, Service Line Warranties of Canada. “One thing that is certain even in a time of budgetary uncertainty is that it’s always smart to prepare financially for the unexpected, like a home repair emergency because it’s not a matter of if they’ll happen, but when.”

Like SLWC’s 2021 State of the Canadian Home survey, the latest survey examined what types of home emergency repairs are most common and how much money homeowners have set aside in savings for these repairs. Two-thirds (69%) of respondents reported having a home repair emergency in the past 12 months with heating or air conditioning emergencies topping the list at 22%. Blocked and/or overflowing toilets (19.8%) and sinks (16%); water heater repairs and replacements (15.6%); and leaking water pipes (14.3%) rounded out the list of the top five most common home repairs.

Unfortunately, the survey also found that many Canadians have no savings set aside to cover an unexpected home repair. Almost 20% said they had nothing set aside for a repair, while another 16% said they had only $1-$500 to cover a home repair emergency. The lack of savings, coupled with inflationary pressures and the finding that almost one-third of Canadians who needed a repair said it ended up costing more than expected, raises a red flag about how an unexpected home repair emergency could signal a financial catastrophe for many Canadians.

Survey Methodology

This second ever “State of the Canadian Home Survey” was conducted on October 25, 2022 by Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) using SurveyMonkey Audience. The survey sample included 927 Canadian adults, of which 867 were homeowners. The sample of respondents was balanced by gender and region. For more on the SurveyMonkey Audience panel, please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/market-research/data-quality/.

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Since 2014, 70 Canadian municipalities have launched partnerships with SLWC to give their residents access to affordable service repair plans for common home repair emergencies. These repair plans offer a smart financial tool to prepare for the most common types of home emergencies. SLWC is the trusted source of utility line protection programs in Ontario as recognized by the Local Authority Services, part of the Association of Municipalities on Ontario (AMO).

Homeowners with questions or who wish to receive more information about SLWC or available plans should call toll-free 1-866-922-9004 or visit www.slwof.ca. Local municipalities interested in learning more about the program for their community can visit contact us.

About Service Line Warranties of Canada

Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) is part of HomeServe, a leading provider of home repair solutions, serving more than 4.8 million customers across the US and Canada and working through over 1,100 leading municipal and utility partners. Launched in 2014, SLWC is the trusted source of utility line protection programs in Ontario as recognized by the Local Authority Services, part of the Association of Municipalities on Ontario (AMO).

Through its network of skilled locally based technicians, HomeServe makes a repair or install in a customer’s home every 34 seconds. HomeServe is also a leading provider of residential energy efficiency solutions. Over the past twelve months, HomeServe has installed almost $100 million dollars’ worth of residential HVAC efficiency upgrades.