Home maintenance is something nearly every homeowner does. But how they do it — and when — tells a more complicated story.
Nextdoor surveyed 1,500 U.S. adults in May 2026 to understand how neighbors approach home upkeep, when they call a professional, and what drives their decisions. The findings, developed in partnership with Groundworks and LeafFilter, reveal a meaningful gap between how homeowners think about maintenance and how they actually behave.
Reactive by default
96% of neighbors completed at least one home maintenance task in the past year. But most waited for a visible sign of trouble before doing anything about it. 56% of respondents said their most recent maintenance task was prompted by noticing something was wrong — not by a scheduled inspection or routine checkup.
That pattern has real consequences. More than half of neighbors (54%) said they've dealt with a home issue that worsened because they delayed maintenance. Water and moisture damage, plumbing problems, and roofing issues were the most commonly cited culprits.
This isn't unique to Nextdoor's audience. Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies has consistently found that deferred maintenance is one of the leading contributors to housing deterioration, particularly among older housing stock. The cost of ignoring small problems tends to compound.
What makes someone pick up the phone
When neighbors do hire a professional, they move fast. 41% contacted a provider immediately after noticing a problem. Another 39% reached out within one to two weeks. That urgency shapes the entire provider selection process.
What do homeowners actually weigh when choosing someone? Cost of service ranked first (64%), followed by quality of past work (62%) and guarantees or warranties (60%). Reviews and ratings mattered too, at 51%. Financing options trailed the field at 37% — but the research suggests affordability remains a real barrier.
Only 25% of neighbors said they could comfortably absorb a $2,500 to $5,000 unexpected repair out of pocket without strain. Most fall below that threshold.
Trust is the deciding factor
Nine in ten neighbors said recommendations from other neighbors influence how they choose a home service provider. 36% said those recommendations influence their decisions "a great deal." That social proof dynamic is built into how Nextdoor works — and it's one reason the platform ranked first among all channels neighbors used to hire maintenance help, ahead of Google, Facebook and Instagram, Yelp, and Thumbtack.
79% of neighbors who completed a maintenance task this year turned to Nextdoor at some point during the process, whether to find a professional, get recommendations, or stay informed about local issues that could affect their home.
The preference for local matters here too. 60% of neighbors said they'd rather hire a locally owned business for maintenance work over a nationally backed company. Even large national brands have an opportunity to close that gap with localized messaging and community-relevant creative.
The DIY reality
Professional help dominates higher-stakes categories. HVAC servicing went to a professional 67% of the time. Plumbing (52%) and roof or siding repair (50%) followed. Neighbors are far less likely to tackle those themselves.
But for lower-stakes tasks — gutter maintenance, lawn care, foundation checks — the split is closer. 41% of neighbors handled their own gutter work. 35% personally addressed foundation or structural issues. For advertisers and service providers, that means there's an audience that wants support across the full spectrum: the person who does it themselves and the one who knows they shouldn't.
Angi's annual State of Home Spending similarly shows that homeowners increasingly mix DIY and professional help depending on project complexity and cost, making messaging flexibility important for reaching the full range of intent.
What the data means for home services advertisers
A few things stand out from this research.
The window to capture a high-intent homeowner is short. Most reach out to a professional within days of noticing a problem. Being visible at that moment — and being trusted enough to be the first call — is the whole game.
Affordability and financing are underleveraged. Neighbors are more likely than the general population to use credit cards (20% more) and insurance (42% more) to pay for maintenance. Clear pricing language and flexible payment options reduce friction without requiring a discount.
Seasonal timing matters. Home maintenance conversations on Nextdoor peak in spring and summer, consistent with five years of platform data. Campaigns aligned to those windows — particularly in lawn care, pest control, and exterior maintenance — will find the most receptive audience.
And the Nextdoor community, specifically, skews toward engaged, proactive homeowners. Neighbors are 17% more likely than the general population to act before visible problems appear. They're 20% more likely to hire a professional at all. This is an audience that's already primed to spend.
Want to explore the complete findings? This summary highlights key insights from our research, but there's much more to discover. For detailed data, additional audience segments, and strategic recommendations for your campaigns, reach out to Jacob Chavis, Customer Analytics & Insights Manager, at jchavis@nextdoor.com. Our team can help you apply these insights to reach high-intent neighbors at the moments that matter most.
