Canadians are most likely to see their home as a financial investment, new international study finds

HomeStars International Homeowner Report 2026

TORONTO, CANADA, June 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Canadians are more likely to see their home as a financial investment than homeowners anywhere else in the world - ahead of the U.S., and far above European markets where home is primarily a place of comfort and culture. Canada also shares an unexpected cultural bond with Japan: both are the world's strictest shoes-off households, enforcing the rule at nearly double the American rate. Though homeowner habits vary across countries, people share a common goal: creating homes that fit their lives. To better understand those differences and similarities, HomeStars.com, in collaboration with its international family of home services marketplaces, today released findings from its first International Homeowners’ Study.

The study surveyed nearly 5,000 homeowners across 10 countries - the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Brazil - uncovering notable differences in everything from home maintenance habits and renovation priorities to household rituals, design preferences and what people consider the “heart of the home.”

“Homeownership isn’t one-size-fits-all,” said Colleen McGrory, spokesperson for HomeStars.com. “While Canadians lead on seeing their home as a financial investment, this study reveals many more interesting trends. Almost a third see their kitchen as the heart of their home, and almost three quarters of residents say they can’t live without their own utility room. Intriguingly, millions enforce a no-shows rule in their homes, which is something we do at the same rate as Japan.”

Some interesting findings include:

- Home as investment: 50% of Canadian homeowners see their home as a financial investment - the highest of any country in the study. 39% renovate specifically to increase resale value, also #1 globally.

- The kitchen is the heart of the home: 32% of Canadians say the kitchen is the heart of their home - the highest of any country in the study, double France (16%), and triple the Netherlands (9%).

- Keeping it clean: 69% of Canadian homeowners enforce a no-shoes rule in the house - nearly double the US rate of 37%, and on par with Japan, leading globally.

- Utility needs: 73% of Canadians said they could not live without a dedicated utility or laundry room in their ideal home - second place after Brazil.

- The basement nation: 58% of Canadians say a basement is essential - compared to just 6% in the UK and 17% in France, making it one of the most distinctively Canadian features in the study.

- Solar last: Despite being one of the most financially engaged homeowner markets in the study, Canada ranks last in solar panel adoption at just 5% - well behind the Netherlands (54%), Germany (32%), and even the U.S. (15%).

- A generational lifestyle divide: Canadian Boomers are nearly twice as likely as Gen Z to describe their home as "lived-in and comfortable" (68% vs 46%) - the largest generational lifestyle gap of any country in the study.

How Home Habits Differ Around the World

The study also revealed meaningful cultural differences in how homeowners care for and live in their homes:

- France is the DIY capital of the study, with 65% of homeowners handling most repairs themselves - the highest rate.
- The Netherlands leads in home sustainability, with 54% of homeowners already having solar panels - more than three times the U.S. rate (15%)

When a home no longer fits:

- 77% of Germans and 62% of Brazilians would renovate rather than move
- 45% of South Koreans and 41% of British homeowners would rather relocate.
- Japan (69%), Australia (40%) and the U.S. (37%) would stay and make do rather than move.

Please read and download the full report at https://www.homestars.com/blog/the-international-homeowner-study

Mr Stephen Jury
Jukebox Marketing
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