The home remodeling industry seems to be either too busy or not busy enough, but never just right. It’s either the best of times or the worst of times in some senses. Right now Castle has a lot of interest and more bids out on potential projects than ever before. With the high cost of buying a new house there is a lot of interest in remodeling. There aren’t enough homes. The hard part is remodeling costs have gone up too. There aren’t enough people going into the trades to replace those that are retiring. On top of the that, interest rates are up from the historical lows of recent past so refinancing seems very expensive. So, where does that leave us? Dr. Seuss said it best in his poem “The Waiting Place” Everyone is just waiting. The full poem is below.
So, why not wait?
Don’t worry the point is coming. Here are some reasons waiting isn’t the best plan:
- ROE – Return on Enjoyment. On their deathbed no one ever says: “I wish I would have lived with that crappy ____ room for five more years”.
- When it’s a great time to remodel everyone does it. That results in slower service and more issues in production. Right now the industry is calm and you will get the attention you deserve, prices are steady, and lead times for labor and materials are short.
- Prices only go up. Next year things will cost more than this year.
- It takes a while to plan a project. Typically 2-4 months of planning and pricing then there are 6-12 lead times to start the project. Plan ahead. It’s a great time to start planning your 2025 remodel.
- Creating the plans for a project is the first step, but it doesn’t mean you have to do the project at this time. Even designing the concept and having a floor plan helps lock down pricing so you can compare all your options. Plans last.
- Spring is coming and that is busiest time of the remodeling season. The early bird gets the worm.
Take that first step and you’ll be off to great places, your off on your way!
Loren Schriber – Owner
THE WAITING PLACE
by Dr. Seuss
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
or a plane to go or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.