Businesses say more people are remodeling
HIGH POINT – It’s typical to see a rush of household renovation projects every spring.
After all, that’s why they call it spring cleaning.
But the flood of calls that Kauffman and other renovators have seen is significantly greater than the same time last year – when most of their customers were pinching pennies due to bad economic conditions.
From storm repair and small fix-it jobs to redoing entire bathrooms and kitchens, renovators may be finding success while the housing market struggles and homeowners stay put.
“People are now taking on s ome projects that they really don’t have to do, but just want to,” said Steve Cranford, owner of the High Point-based House Medic franchise. “Last year at this time, it was tough (to find jobs). This year, people who recognize their investments are trying to protect it the best they can.”
Home sales took a dive in October 2008 and have struggled to gain foothold ever since. High Point saw much activity thanks to the federal government’s homebuyer tax credit program. Now that the program is over, renovators speculate that activity may be fueled into the remodeling sector until the housing market and economy make a full recovery.
The number of callers requesting price estimates has increased for both businesses, but also the number of jobs. Other contributing factors include tax incentives for adding energy efficient products to homes, Cranford said.
“People are making some choices on windows and doors based around those tax credi ts,” he said. “It makes sense in a couple of ways. First, they’re protecting their investment. But it can also save them money in energy costs.”
