Home Renovations On The Rise During Social Isolation

While renovations were put on hold when Ontario first began implementing stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices, home renovations projects have been reactivated in Stage 1 of Ontario’s attempts to begin opening the province.

And while your first thought might not be to start a home renovation project at this time, experts say that home and backyard renovation projects are one of the real estate trends we’ll begin to see more and more in the wake of COVID-19. 

We have all spent the last ten to twelve weeks living in our homes like never before. We are, more or less, spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in our homes. This isolation has given us a completely new perspective on our homes—how and where we spend our time inside has shifted which is bringing up a lot of friction points.

People are realizing what works and what doesn’t work in their homes in light of our current reality. Where once it made sense to have a formal dining room, it is now more important to have a dedicated home office or study area for the kids. In the past you may have focused on travelling and spending your money in other ways—now it makes sense to invest in a backyard upgrade or finishing your basement finally (a home gym or rec room would come in really handy right about now).

It could even be that your family is growing and you’ve decided that moving to a larger space isn’t the right choice for you. Home additions and renovations that create more usable space are great options for homeowners that want to maximize their homes. Instead of going through the hassle of selling and buying a new home, not to mention packing, working with a contractor to determine how you can make the most of the space you have is a great way to expand without leaving your current home.

As we mentioned before, there are ways to safely conduct a home renovation project during COVID-19. First and foremost, you need to work with a contractor who is not only reputable and who also takes the necessary precautions to protect both you and their workers. This means masks, gloves, regular handing washing, and keeping 6 feet apart whenever possible. You’ll also want to keep all meetings virtual and have no more than 5 people in your home at any time. 

Starting a large or small scale home renovation project is not something you should enter into lightly. But with the unique opportunity that we’ve had to spend an unprecedented amount of time in our homes, it is easier to understand what about our homes is no longer serving us. We can use this information to our advantage and take the steps to make our homes as functional as possible.

Photo by Huseyn Kamaladdin from Pexels