Consumers in the Central Savannah River Area spent a record $638-million on home improvements in 2019. This level of spending is projected to drop modestly next year, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“Declining home sales and home-building activity coupled with slower gains in permitting for improvement projects will put the brakes on remodeling growth,” says Chris Herbert, the center’s managing director.

“However, if falling mortgage interest rates continue to incentivize home sales, refinancing, and ultimately remodeling activity, the slowdown may soften some.”

If Augusta area small businesses that sell home improvement products and services would like to continue to grow despite the softening market, then advertising will be required.

First Choice Home Builders is an Evans, Georgia based construction company. It has been building spec and semi-custom luxury homes in the Central Savannah River Area since 2003.

"In 2018, we sold 48 homes," says Jade Ross, the company's Marketing Coordinator. "The year before we sold 32."

"Advertising on Augusta radio stations has been very important in the growth of our company," she says. "We have used it to build our brand so that when people in the CSRA are ready to buy a newly built home, the first company they think about it us."

Market research indicates that radio advertising is the best way to reach the prospective home buyers that First Choice needs to reach to be successful.