HOME IMPROVEMENTS ON THE RISE
It’s boom time for tradies, and homes have never looked better. But there is a downside postlockdown, writes Colleen Hawkes.
If you think you have been seeing tradie vans everywhere in your neighbourhood, you have not been imagining things.
Home improvement, it seems, is the latest hobby for homeowners everywhere. Whether it’s a new kitchen, better landscaping, or a fullhouse renovation, we are putting money into our homes – possibly for capital gain, but most probably so we can enjoy a better quality of living.
For many, the first lockdown with the family last year made us acutely aware of what did and didn’t work at home.
In Stuff’s NowNext survey, which asked how we expect our lives to develop over the next 12 months, 27 per cent of homeowners who responded said they planned to carry out renovations, while 17 per cent said they were thinking of moving home.
Rikki Townsley of Brooklyn in Wellington is doing up his 115-year-old villa. He is in the final part of a staged renovation in which he has already ripped off the back the house, and replaced a single-glazed lean-to which was ‘‘absolutely freezing and structurally unsound’’.
And for Townsley, it’s all about improving the quality of living. When his builder Anthony Cohen has finished, he will have an open-plan living space that will enable him to see right through the house from the new bifold doors at the back. And, with double-glazing, the house will be considerably warmer in winter.
Jeremy Gray of Builderscrack.co.nz, where Townsley found his builder, says the surge in renovation work follows a big drop in demand for tradespeople during the March/ April Covid lockdowns last year.
‘‘Demand dropped to the lowest level the business had seen since Builderscrack launched in 2007,’’ he says.
‘‘But by June 2020, demand had sprung back to exceed preCovid levels, and now in April 2021 we’re seeing some of the highest rates of demand.’’
Why is it happening now?
‘‘We have historically seen a tight correlation between house price inflation and strong trades demand,’’ says Gray.
‘‘Over the previous year postlockdown, increasing house prices have fuelled home equity and in turn, led to an increased desire in homeowners to improve their homes.
‘‘Coupled with border restrictions limiting international travel, and Kiwis spending more time at home than before, we’ve seen increasing pressure on the full range of trades.’’
Gray says other factors, such as the Healthy Homes compliance, and the high rate of new builds are also contributing to the overall pressure.
National Kitchen and Bathroom Association executive officer Suzie Rees says the majority of NKBA designers and manufacturers have noticed a sizeable increase in inquiries and commissions for new kitchens and bathrooms over the past 12 months, and there is no immediate signs of a slowdown.
‘‘Major factors creating this demand are that consumer spend has been directed away from travel into domestic activity and housing, including renovations.
‘‘We are also hearing from many designers, that homeowners are taking advantage of house price increases and low interest rates to reinvest in their properties.
‘‘This strong demand and global supply chain issues has put pressure on the industry and this is causing delays across the board for hardware, appliances, materials and more.’’
Material supply issues
Gray also says material supply issues are ‘‘complicating the picture’’.
‘‘It’s causing jobs to be delayed, in some cases significantly. We’re seeing tradespeople working hard to orchestrate multiple jobs around availability of materials.
‘‘Our advice is, if you’re thinking about having work done, begin the process early and be patient.’’
Dean and Rose Paterson of Newtown, Wellington, are typical of the homeowners looking to improve their lot at home. Their renovation included a new addition to the rear of their 120-year-old villa – designed by Michael Bennington.
‘‘We wanted to create contrast between the old and the new,’’ says Dean Paterson. ‘‘We wanted to retain the cottage look at the front of our house and have a modern, contemporary structure out the back. This included a total house makeover with a reconfigured kitchen and bathroom and an extension to the living area.’’
Global interest renovations
The couple’s 20 tradespeople and project manager all work for Refresh Renovations. The company says the recent surge is not just a New Zealand phenomenon.
Chris Caiger, Refresh Renovations co-founder, says the firm has seen an increase globally in people looking to renovate, landscape and undertaken general home improvements.
‘‘In New Zealand, the number of inquiries about renovations has grown 54 per cent compared to this time last year. We have also seen a large volume of inquiries for Refresh in Australia, the UK and North America.
‘‘With house prices continuing to rise, people look at ways they can add value to their home but also customise it to the way they want to live. We have seen a lot of this through converting existing spaces, such as a garage, as people look to find ways to add another bedroom, a granny flat or a place to work from home as they [now] have flexibility about where they can work.’’
The firm’s Zones Landscaping division has also noted an increase in business.
‘‘Outdoor living has seen positive growth as well, as people find ways to enjoy ‘holidaying’ from home with a tropical backyard or an outdoor living room that can be used through all seasons,’’ Caiger says.