5 Homeowner Priorities for 2025

In 2024, 83% of homeowners experienced issues with their homes, which was a steep increase from 48% in 2023, according to Hippo’s Housepower Report. With more homeowners facing unexpected repairs, here are their top priorities this year. 

1. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

In Hippo’s survey of over 2,000 homeowners, 59% listed energy efficiency and sustainability as a concern. 

Actions to take include: 

• Installing programmable thermostats to optimize heating and cooling and reduce energy consumption. 
• Replacing older appliances with energy-saving models. 
• Preventing energy leaks by sealing gaps and using weather stripping. 
• Enhancing insulation in walls, attics and basements to minimize heat loss and improve energy conservation. 
• Transitioning to renewable energy resources such as solar energy. 

2. Home Insurance and Protection Plans 

Nearly half (46%) of homeowners said home insurance and protection plans were a top priority for 2025. 

Hippo shares these actions to take to safeguard your home from unexpected risks: 

• Assess your current home insurance policies to ensure adequate coverage for property value changes, new possessions or home upgrades. 
• Regularly review available discounts to help reduce your overall premium costs. 
• Evaluate your needs for add-ons like flood, earthquake or umbrella policies that go beyond basic insurance. 
• Install safety features like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers to help lower insurance risks. 

3. Rising Home Maintenance and Repair Costs 

Forty-three percent of respondents identified rising home maintenance and repair costs as a significant concern, prioritizing home insurance and protection plans, budgeting and other ways to help manage unexpected home expenses. 

Actions to take to calm these concerns may include: 

• Developing a maintenance schedule for regular inspections and seasonal tasks, such as cleaning gutters, checking for leaks and servicing HVAC systems. 
• Learning basic home repair skills to help tackle minor issues and save labor costs. 
• Considering home warranties and exploring options for covering system breakdowns. 
• Setting aside a maintenance fund by regularly contributing to a dedicated savings account for future repairs and emergencies. 
• Ensuring home insurance policies align with the actual costs of rebuilding or repairing your home. 

4. Severe Weather Emergency Preparedness 

Twenty-eight percent of surveyed homeowners named emergency preparedness for natural disasters and severe weather as a top priority. 

For these homeowners, Hippo recommends: 

• Assessing home insurance policies to ensure coverage aligns with current risks, including floods, hurricanes or earthquakes. 
• Creating a comprehensive emergency plan with a clear evacuation and communications strategy for all family members. 
• Assembling an updated emergency kit. 
• Investing in home resilience upgrades such as reinforcing roofs, installing storm shutters and securing exterior features like gutters and outdoor furniture. 
• Installing smart home monitoring systems for real-time updates on weather conditions, water leaks and power outages. 

Review more emergency preparedness tips and a checklist of items to include in your emergency kit. 

5. DIY Home Maintenance Tasks 

Doing it yourself can save money and level up your skills. Twenty-two percent of homeowners marked DIY home maintenance skills as a priority for this year, and 55% said they’re “very likely” to take maintenance into their own hands in 2025. 

However, sometimes DIY projects cost more time and money than expected due to errors and lack of expertise. Hippo recommends doing these things to reap DIY rewards while avoiding common pitfalls: 

• Reviewing homeowners insurance for repair and renovation coverage. 
• Understanding the full scope of work, including all project steps, the timeline and expenses. 
• Building additional time and money into the budget as a backup plan, including a contingency budget of at least 5-10% of your total project budget. 
• Considering if the project will alter the home footprint and securing the necessary permits and inspections if it will. 
• Investing in the right tools and quality materials for a more successful outcome.