New research shows most buyers underestimate both the cost of homeownership and how quickly they’ll need a home service professional they can trust

TORONTO, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Jobber, the leading provider of software for blue collar businesses, today released The Recent Homebuyer Reality Check, its first study of what homeownership actually costs in the first two years after purchase. Based on a survey of 800 Americans who bought a single-family home within the past two years, the report puts hard numbers on the gap between how move-in ready buyers think their home is and what they discover once they start living in it.

The data tells a consistent story: New homeowners are spending more than they anticipated on repairs they didn’t see coming, and those experiences are shaping what they expect from the businesses they hire—clear communication, transparent pricing, and fast responses.

“The first two years of homeownership are harder than most buyers expect but 93% say they’re glad they bought anyway,” said Abheek Dhawan, Chief Strategy Officer at Jobber. “That commitment means they’re motivated to find professionals they can rely on, and for home service businesses, that’s the opportunity.”

Key findings from the report include:

Move-in ready doesn’t mean what buyers think it means

• 58% uncovered unexpected repair needs after moving in, despite 86% describing their home as move-in ready at closing
• Millennials were the most likely generation to discover unexpected repair issues after move-in (69%), compared to Baby Boomers (48%)

The mortgage is just the beginning

• 72% of homeowners spent up to $10,000 on unexpected repairs or maintenance within their first two years of ownership
• 60% say homeownership has been more expensive than expected

Finding trusted service pros remains a challenge

• 75% hired a home service professional within two years of purchasing their home
• 15% had to repeatedly follow up with a service provider, and 9% never received a response from a service provider at all

For Audrey S., a Millennial based in the Greater Boston Area who purchased a home in 2025, those numbers tell a familiar story.

“After an extensive and sometimes heartbreaking hunt, we found a 1923 Cape Cod-style home near where I grew up that we fell in love with instantly. There was much more work than we expected. As a first-time homeowner, figuring out who to trust and who to hire felt almost as overwhelming as buying the house itself.”

To read the full report, visit: https://www.getjobber.com/recent-homebuyer-report

Report Methodology

The Recent Homebuyer Reality Check is based on a Jobber-commissioned survey conducted by Coleman Parkes in May 2026 among 800 U.S. homeowners who purchased a single-family home within the previous two years. The research includes equal representation from Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, providing a comprehensive view of the modern homeownership experience. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points at the 90% confidence level.

A single-family housing unit is a freestanding, detached structure, or a semi-detached structure (like a townhouse or duplex) separated from other units by a ground-to-roof dividing wall, where occupants live independently, eat separately, and have their own direct access to the outside.

About Jobber

Jobber is the award-winning platform that puts blue collar first. Built for service pros, Jobber streamlines and automates operations so crews can run more efficiently, increase profitability, and scale with confidence. More than 100,000 businesses and 400,000 service pros in over 50 industries—including landscaping, plumbing, cleaning, and contracting—use Jobber to serve over 34 million properties in more than 70 countries. Jobber continually ranks as one of Canada’s fastest-growing and most innovative companies by The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and Deloitte. For more information visit: jobber.com.

Media contacts

Travis Van Horn
PAN Communications for Jobber
jobber@pancomm.com

Elana Ziluk
Senior Public Relations Manager, Jobber
elana.z@getjobber.com
+1 416-317-2633

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SOURCE Jobber