You just bought a house... Now what...

You searched houses for weeks maybe months. You finally found the right one and bought it. Congratulations!

Didn’t think that you would have home improvement projects on your list of things to do, did you? The National Association of Realtors publishes a survey of recent homeowners, to find out what features buyers prefer when it comes to purchasing a home, as well as the differences in preferences when it comes to factors such as region, demographics and household composition. Here is a snapshot of what they have found regarding home improvement:

1) Fifty-three percent of buyers undertook a home improvement project within three months of their home purchase.

2) Buyers who purchased older, previously-owned homes were the most likely to undertake a home improvement project. Seventy-three percent of those who purchased a home that was built in 1920 or earlier did make a home improvement soon after buying the home, compared to only 33 percent of those who purchased a home built between 2010 and 2012.

3) Remodeling the kitchen was the most common home improvement project among recent buyers—47 percent of buyers who did undertake a home improvement project remodeled the kitchen. Bathrooms were a close second at 44 percent.

So, you are in good company – many homebuyers want to change something about their new home. For more information, check out the 2013 Home Features Survey.