Among the trends he sees in his work, Walker points to a renewed interest in authentic and high-end materials when homeowners remodel. “We’re finding clients choosing quality over quantity and selecting materials that have lasting value,” he says. Though so far relegated to the upper end of the market, the trend will eventually work its way down to the mainstream, he says.
It’s already strong in the San Francisco Bay Area, which in many cases provided the top-end price for projects listed in the Cost vs. Value study. “Our LBM suppliers are thrilled with our use of extremely top-of-the-line products,” says Caletti. With that, he says, their attitude about remodelers has become more accommodating. “They now seek out the best pricing for us and let us know about new trends and uses of materials that are new to the market.”
A renewed interest in urban living among a more diverse home buying public, meanwhile, provides an opportunity to supply historic renovations and restoration jobs as older neighborhoods are gentrified to meet the demand.
For a recent project in Indianapolis, Stephen R. Robinson of R.E. Construction & Maintenance Services commissioned his lumberyard to convert salvaged doors into pre-hung units, supply a laminated veneer lumber beam to create a vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, provide upgraded double-hung windows with authentic muntins to match the original units, and source a variety of high-performance and application-specific insulation to bring a century-old duplex up to modern performance standards—and then some.
“The customer wanted to maintain the historic integrity of the home while incorporating energy-efficient products and techniques,” says Robinson, providing a formula for success to suppliers interested in addressing that market.
Another remodeling trend to watch: laundry rooms. Not only are homeowners demanding such services upstairs, thus providing a new opportunity for remodelers, but they’re also asking for upgraded finishes to align the space with the rest of the home’s design. “Homeowners want the laundry room to blend in, with crown molding and hardwood or tiled floors to match adjacent rooms,” says Gopal Ahluwalia, NAHB’s director of research.
A recent consumer preference survey found that 95 percent of homeowners and buyers not only want a separate laundry room, but one with more counter space, cabinets, and work areas, as well as gadgets such as in-wall ironing boards and in-home dry cleaning appliances.
Strength in Numbers Even if you’re not seeing these trends in your market, remodelers continue to be a force that demands attention among suppliers. Sure, the majority (72 percent) of remodeling jobs are priced less than $10,000 (and half are less than $5,000), paling in comparison to even the most modest new-home order. But even at the lower end of the scale, says the NARI survey, homeowners are more likely to hire a professional than do it themselves—despite what the local big-box ads portray.
“We are seeing record numbers of calls for bids and reports of backlogs that will keep [remodelers] busy throughout the year,” says Doug Sutton, president of Sutton Siding and Remodeling in Springfield, Ill., and current chairman of NAHB’s Remodelors Council. “The industry is very healthy.” —Rich Binsacca is a contributing editor to PROSALES.
