Renovations have been a project for many during their time at home self-isolating. (Courtesy/Homehardware.ca)

By Martin Martinson

Fixing up at Home

Extended time at home sees renovation uptick in community

Apr 30, 2020 | 6:12 PM

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and people get tired of staring at the walls in their homes, more and more have decided to take matters into their own hands and change up those walls with a home renovation.

Erin Letrud, a lumber estimator at the Discovery Co-op, said business has been booming the last two months, despite the pandemic.

“We have been so busy it’s ridiculous; run off our feet, like insanely busy,” she said. “I think everyone’s bored, so they’re just coming out and buying stuff. I’ve been selling like four decks a day and it’s unreal. Everyone’s just at home looking at their ugly house and [so] they come in.”

While home renovations are always popular in the summer months, Letrud said there’s no doubt people being stuck indoors has helped contribute to the busy season beginning a couple of weeks earlier than usual.

“I think that has everything to do with it,” she said. “People are sitting at home and realizing they can’t go outside cause they don’t have a deck, so they’re building a deck; or thinking their fence [could use work], so they might as well replace a part of it.”

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Consumer division manager at the Discovery Co-op, Wes Poffenroth added, to Letrud’s point, there hasn’t been just one area of the house people are renovating either. Customers have been purchasing supplies for both indoor and outdoor projects, from minor touch-ups to larger-scale projects.

“We really realized the renovation side of things when it first started, the interior renovation,” he said. “Then when the weather turned last week, it’s really picked up again and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing yet. Paint, flooring and bathrooms were probably the three biggest at the start and then the last week and a half has been outdoor living, furniture and decks and that kind of thing.”

Poffenroth perhaps summed it up best when he said with people unable to travel like they normally do, this late spring/early summer has turned into a bit of a ‘staycation’ this year, leading many to spruce up their back yards and living spaces.

And the Discovery Co-op isn’t the only place in town surprised to see the continued business boom of the season.

Home Hardware general manager, Cameron Gartner said business has also been rolling right along despite the ongoing pandemic.

Gartner said while the in-store business has continued going strong, there has also been a noticeable boost to the number of online customers submitting orders from the comfort of their homes. He said the added online presence has caused the store to order in an increase of supplies to have on-hand.

“Our rainchecks have definitely increased because lots of people are at home and ordering online,” Gartner said. “[When that happens] we have it shipped to store and we’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of online orders coming through the store as well.”

While he is obviously pleased with the consistent flow of business, Gartner said it remains important for those who are out and about, to continue to abide by the public safety practices in place.

“Everyone’s welcome in our store, we just ask that they practice social distancing,” he said. “Everyone just needs to stay safe when they come in and keep their distance.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1