“We saw a large increase in estimates, we also saw a large increase in small, independent contractors,” says Dustin. “We usually see a slowdown from January to March, if any, and it picks up again in April.”
“Overall, I would say that sales have remained pretty much the same as in previous years,” adds Crystal. “You didn’t gain weight drastically, but we didn’t work. We’ve definitely stayed busy this year. “
In terms of the most frequently renovated living spaces, Dustin admits that kitchens and bathrooms get a lot of attention in central Alberta.
“Sometimes it’s just a bathtub replacement and then a full bathroom, but it’s everywhere – honestly,” says Dustin. “I would say the lowest value is between $ 4,000 and $ 15,000 for these bathrooms.”
The Marin’s also recognize the impact the housing market is having on the home renovation industry.
“When it’s a buyer’s market, people often try to do their home renovations as part of their mortgage,” explains Crystal. “So I’m going to do some estimates with people trying to see what it will cost to fix the kitchen that they don’t like in their new home. If it’s a seller’s market, you don’t see much of it. “
However, Crystal notes that the pandemic was far from business as usual.
“We had to adapt and make changes to the way we work and our security policy,” she says. “When the pandemic started, like everyone else, you didn’t know how to get on with projects and customers were afraid of getting on with their projects too. Could we show up or did we have to stop in the middle of construction? “
“The original shutdown was huge,” notes Dustin. “It basically prevented us from working more than two months and the uncertainty customers had from wondering if they were going to lose their jobs. In the early stages it was huge to go to an estimate of the basement development and try to follow up on it and some have since lost their jobs from measure to follow up and it was really difficult. “
According to Crystal, the supply chain is also affected by the pandemic.
“Common materials that we need aren’t always available, or you may have to allow three or four weeks for them to come in,” says Crystal. “The average material costs have almost doubled or increased by at least two and a half times, so it was interesting to discuss this with customers as well.”
With the price of many materials soaring, the Marins suggest there is no time like today to do a renovation.
“I would say definitely research the contractors. There are many small, independent businesses that have been set up. So you want to make sure they have the correct credentials and aren’t in the dust when they decide to take your money and run. “
Visit Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd for more information.
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