This article was originally published in the February issue of Qualified Remodeler.
“This List was compiled with the help of many remodelers and home improvement pros who responded to emails from the Qualified Remodeler team. Some of the items have broader implications for all businesses. The aim of the list is to provide a basis for the kind of big-picture thinking and planning that can lead to more proactive and positive steps toward business growth and bigger profits. — The QR Editors”
50 Trends, Forces and Change Agents to Watch in 2024
Presented in alphabetical order.
Agile business models
Remodeling and home improvement today is hotbed of dynamic small-business management systems and philosophies. A group of business models gaining traction falls into a category labeled ‘agile’. Agile grew out of development processes pioneered in the software industry. These systems emphasize flexibility in operations and decision-making, allowing businesses to quickly adapt to market changes and capitalize on emerging opportunities. Not every company is ready to move to an agile business model, but it is a business model that draws in younger entrepreneurs in remodeling. When Qualified Remodeler hosted its first FAST Remodeler Live technology conference in May of 2022, many younger remodelers revealed that they use project management software developed for use at companies grounded in agile principles. Examples include Jira, Wrike, Asana, Trello, and Daily Scrum. FAST is an acronym for Focused on Agile Systems and Technology. Other dynamic business models that emphasize flexibility are similar in nature to agile systems include EOS. See the EOS or Entrepreneurial Operating System listing in this article.
Aging Housing Stock
There are approximately 130 million homes in the United States. Their average age is steadily rising. It is near 40 years at this point and is projected to rise with each passing year. The upshot: Age of housing stock is a market driver for repairs and remodels.
AI-Powered Home Upgrades
Smart home technology is evolving, and AI-powered systems are being integrated into home automation, affecting heating, cooling, electrical, and security systems. Examples include increasingly sophisticated smart thermostats from Nest or Ecobee which include devices to detect movement in homes and therefore learn schedules of its occupants. These thermostats work in tandem with energy management systems that optimize electricity usage in appliances. The same is true of smart lighting systems, like Philips Hue which uses AI to learn lighting preferences, and adjusting brightness and color based on time of day, occupancy, or when digital media is being played like movies. Health monitoring systems are a growing category of products to monitor sleep, blood pressure, temperature. French consumer electronics company Withings, which has an office in Boston, is coming to market with an in-toilet device that conducts periodic urinalyses. Remodelers would be wise to read-up on this trend in connection to the overall trend toward wellness in the home.
Artificial Intelligence
All businesses have been impacted by the roll out of artificial intelligence over the last 18 months. In summarizing the impact of AI on business to this point, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Open AI CEO Sam Altman, speaking in a joint interview, focused on the many simple productivity gains offered by dozens of ‘large-language model’ and ‘generative AI’ tools now available.
“The fact that so many people today can use it for productivity in their workflow, that is the power of AI. It becomes a companion to knowledge work. It becomes a better way to use a computer,” said Altman.
Today there are tools for learning, writing, creating graphics, creating video and other media. Perhaps more significantly for business owners like remodelers—today’s tools allow them to leverage existing client databases to generate more sales and to find new customers through more focused and personalized marketing and lead-gen initiatives.
AI will be a primary theme in all presentations slated for FAST Remodeler Live this May 14 and May 15 in Austin, Texas. Each speaker will apply current AI tools to various workflows within the remodeling and home improvement industries. This practical, step-by-step approach is the right way to bring AI into any business in 2024, the experts agree. From a competitive standpoint, younger remodelers who are digital natives may come across applications that others do not. Those pros will lead the way for our industry. That is why it is a mistake to ignore AI. Keep your ear to the ground this year for AI applications that are working well for other owners. Gaining a base understanding of the broad principles of AI is key.
When people express fear about AI, they’re typically making the mistake of leaping ahead to AGI or Artificial General Intelligence, a level of artificial intelligence that does not yet exist. AGI is a generalized intelligence that can be applied to tasks and will provide better, more complete answers to questions, faster than humans. AGI is several years away but it is coming. Microsoft CEO Nadella said he is confident that AGI and other over-the-horizon’ technologies will certainly be regulated by each nation, just as the FAA regulates commercial aviation. “We will all be subject to those regulations,” Nadella predicts.
Today we live in a world where ‘generative AI’ tools are capable of generating text, images and media. It is also a powerful data-analytics tool. For those who choose to attend FAST Remodeler Live in May they will want to catch the presentation from Klarissa Marenitch, the chief technology officer for Leaf Home. She anticipates that her message about AI to FAST Remodeler Live attendees this spring will be one of measured incrementalism. Leaf Home uses a Salesforce-based system to manage the day-to-day operation of the company. She expects to only deploy the AI tools that become available through the Salesforce platform this year. Salesforce has not yet deployed those tools, but they are coming. Other software vendors are doing the same. If you already trust those providers and you already use their solutions. It makes sense to follow their lead.
Back-Up Power Systems
This is not a pitch for Generac and Kohler Power, but the nation’s power grid has shown its vulnerability in recent years. Homeowners who remodeler will increasingly want these systems included in their renovation plans.
Better AR and VR for Selling
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are two trends that offer sizzle. Until now generating images to show clients and potential customers has been hard work. Artificial intelligence tools on the market today are making it easier to generate AR and VR content to use in selling situations. For large full scale remodels, VR is a money and time saver that allows clients to walkthrough their remodeled spaces and make changes before construction begins.
Better Lead handling and Lead conversion
All remodelers and home improvement pros see the need for improving how they handle incoming inquiries and leads. This is especially true for the home improvement pros out there who invest so much in driving leads for new business. Consultants Tony Hoty and Megan Beattie are both focused on educating others on the best practices for handling leads and converting them to appointments and then to sales. The firms that improve incrementally in this area can expect to see more profits drop to the bottom line.
Canvassing, Home Shows and Events
Read Amy Zimmerman’s column in this issue. It is all about the growing importance and efficacy of home shows, events and canvassing (radius marketing) to augment the competition and changes that are slowing the flow of leads from other sources.
Creating Attractive Work Cultures
Finding and retaining qualified people has been a top challenge for remodelers and home improvement pros for many years. It will continue to be a challenge in 2024. Many firms, like Power Home Remodeling and others have worked diligently to create positive work cultures that attract new talent to the industry. Gone are the days when attracting talent meant offering good benefits like employee-sponsored health coverage, paid vacation, and a 401k are enough to attract top talent. Young people today want to be a part of a team. They want to be with other young people. They prefer to be a part of organizations with a clearly defined career path and clearly defined income levels if they succeed. Firms like Power appear to be ‘cracking the code’ in terms of creating the home improvement workforce of the future. In 2024 this will create even further scarcity for firms that are offering ordinary, less-appealing work cultures.
Customer Experience Focus
Offering a good customer experience is critically important to the long-term viability of a remodeling or home improvement firm. This has always been the case. This industry is built on good reputations that drive repeat and referral business each year.
Traditionally, reputations flourish (or fall) by word-of-mouth alone. These days one bad customer experience can quickly be magnified across social media with immediate negative impact. In addition to actively monitoring and managing customer reviews, owners and managers must be attuned to emerging preferences among remodeling clients.
Fifteen years ago, a client might seek a series of weekly face-to-face meetings with their remodeler during construction. Today, more clients prefer fewer face-to-face meetings but instead want more frequent written updates with photos and videos. And it does not necessarily need to be the owner. The project manager is fine. Many project-management software platforms offer the kind of client experience (or UX, short for user experience) that has replaced face-to-face meetings. More firms today are giving their customers a customer experience that matches the best ecommerce websites. This way clients can send messages at any hour and keep the thread going at a time of their choosing. This is what clients expect today and its not just the young ones. Everyone knows the convenience and benefit of attending to details after the kids have gone to bed, or when they are not juggling other tasks.
Think about your UX in 2024. Your competition is investing in their systems and training their people to use many platforms to communicate with clients. Firms that insist on doing things the old way might get left behind.
Customer Satisfaction Measurement and Management
For entrepreneurs accustomed to operating on gut instinct, using data to make decisions can be an adjustment. The discipline of optimizing how best to create a stream of satisfied customers offers a good example. Many remodelers created their businesses from nothing, so they do not see the job of satisfying customers as an area of concern. They must know how to do it, otherwise they would not be in business, right? Not exactly. The business discipline of measuring and tracking customer satisfaction is a different animal. Customer satisfaction data gathered across many industries consistently shows that small, incremental improvements can offer huge gains for business owners. The cost of acquiring new customers goes down and profitability rises. According to research from consultant PwC, 73 percent of consumers say good customer service is more important than price or product features. Additionally, companies with a track record of excellent customer service can charge a premium of up to 16 percent for their product or services.
What is good customer service to today’s remodeling clients? For eight years, QR has partnered with Guild Quality, a customer satisfaction services company, to compile annual reports that answer this question. Perennial top service traits are: 1. Professional and Organized, 2. Expertise, and 3. Problem Resolution. If your clients agree that your firm does well on all three, chances are they will refer your firm to others and they will want to hire your firm again. They will be satisfied.
In addition to identifying important service traits each year, QR and Guild Quality also profile 100 firms with very high customer satisfaction scores. These firms will continue to prosper in 2024.
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
As digital operations expand, so does the importance of cybersecurity. Small businesses need to invest in robust security measures and educate their teams on best practices to protect sensitive data. Several remodelers in recent years have confidentially spoken of costly ransomware attacks. This happens when you or a member of your team clicks on a link that gives hackers an opening they need into your companies systems and databases. The hackers then lock up your data and software, which has the effect of shutting down most businesses. The demand to pay can $10,000, $20,000 or more can escalate. The only choice is to pay or to quickly cut over to backup systems that have been prepared by your IT consultant for just such an occurrence. In 2024, it pays to run a tight IT ship. This is particularly true with the number of mobile devices that are now connected to office systems.
Data Analytics for Business Growth
Effective use of data analytics is crucial for understanding customer behavior, market trends, and optimizing operations for small businesses. Many firms today are making more use of their customer data via stronger software systems. New artificial intelligence tools offer additional opportunity for interpreting your customer data – helping remodelers and other small business owners the opportunity to target new customers with messages tailored to reach them more effectively.
Even for firms with modest budgets for data and analytics can access free or low-cost services on the web. For website data, Google Analytics is free and powerful. HubSpot offers a free version of its CRM app. Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are loaded with free templates to begin conducting better analysis of your data.
Peer groups like Remodelers Advantage, Business Networks and Certified Contractors Network offer excellent tools for data analysis. And they also offer the opportunity to benchmark your metrics versus some of the most successful firms in the industry.
When it comes to data and analytics. Start small by focusing just on the metrics that support key performance indicators at your company.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Operating from gut instinct is often quite effective, but costly mistakes do occur. The best owners and managers have developed good access to their key data and analytics. And when it comes time to make a decision to hire, buy a truck, add a new software, open a new office, the turn to all of the relevant data to make that decision.
See the description for the Customer Satisfaction Measurement and Management trend in this article. Solid customer satisfaction data is just one example of data that creates a roadmap for hitting important targets. If you want 100 percent of your clients to say they are willing to refer your business, this surveying process will help you get there.
Faster-Moving Design Trends
Several design trends are gaining popularity, including bold personalization, nostalgic elements, and organic designs that bring the outdoors inside. This trend reflects a shift away from more neutral color palettes to warmer tones and textures.
If you are a design-build firm or a kitchen and bath design remodeler, its more important than ever to keep abreast of the trends. Beautiful, functional, and timeless are attributes of good design. These days design trends move quickly. QR readers report that their clients are increasingly asking for treasured pieces of furniture or art to be considered in a design. Perhaps it is one of the effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Home is much more central to all types of households. Uncovering opportunities for personalized design touches is more important in 2024.
Digital Transformation
Embracing technology for efficiency and customer engagement is one of the many jobs of an owner. This was mentioned very often in our survey of Qualified Remodeler readers. After conducting FAST Remodeler Live for two consecutive years, the QR team has learned that software decisions must be strategic decisions where newly identified tech is very intentionally selected, onboarded, and deployed. Training and retraining is required. And most important of all is an unwavering commitment to the new tech from top management.
Transformation in Digital Marketing
This one item could be the subject of an entire book. There are many such books available on Amazon. But in a time when lead-generation is all important, it’s important that small businesses get up to speed on a fast-moving marketing segment, digital marketing.
Simply put, most remodelers need a digital marketing consultant or partner to help firms execute multiplatform strategies and budgets. Pay per click, paid social media, website lead capture, You Tube are all places that require the technical knowledge and skills of a digital marketing pro.
AI is a big part of the new wave in digital marketing. There are many generative AI tools that support digital marketing.
A robust online presence, including optimized websites and active social media profiles, is crucial for connecting with customers.
E-Commerce Personalization and Social Commerce
Using data-driven insights for e-commerce personalization is growing in importance. Additionally, leveraging social media platforms for sales (social commerce) is becoming a key strategy for reaching customers.
Enhanced Building Materials
Energy efficiency, resiliency, sustainability, alternative energy sources—these are just a few of the forces driving building product manufacturers to innovate the materials they offer the market. Remodelers must embrace new materials as a market opportunity.
Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit
The introduction of government incentives like the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit encourages homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades. This can be a significant driver for remodeling activities, as homeowners look to avail of these tax credits.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which became law on Jan. 1, 2023 is funding these tax credits and adds a number of new rebates through the decade ahead. Specifically, tax credits for solar and geothermal residential projects were restored. Credits for energy-efficient windows, doors, and HVAC equipment, particularly heat-pumps. The previous cap on tax credits for these improvements will be boosted to $1,200 annually, or $12,000 per household over 10 years.
Other items in law: funds for training contractors on how to conduct home energy audits and how to install those improvements. Another $4.3 billion is earmarked for energy retrofits in homes are rebates distributed by states. Rebates are seen as more directly impacting improvement activity as opposed to tax credits.
Energy-Efficient Homes
Building science is a fascinating and ever-burgeoning field. The number of building science disciplines—from Energy Star to PassivHaus—has grown dramatically in recent years, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the topic. A qualified remodeler in 2024 must be grounded in the basic elements of good building envelopes. They must also know the many ways to provide air sealing and insulation to existing homes. A wide range of new and upgraded building products are making it easier than ever for remodelers to offer very energy efficient remodeling solution
The trend toward clients seeking energy efficient upgrades is driven by higher energy prices as well as the opportunity to save with new tax credits and rebates. The trend is also driven by the desire for more natural light and more comfort—the ability to walk barefoot near a bank of sliding window walls on a sub-zero winter day. The trend is also driven by a growing desire among home-owners to reduce carbon use.
There are so many product categories to explore: heat pumps, on-demand hot water, geo-thermal, photovoltaic solar, passive solar just to name a few.
ESOP and Employee Ownership
Remodelers with strong businesses often find it difficult to find a qualified buyer. Employee stock ownership plans are on the rise. The benefits are numerous. An ESOP creates a plan where the owner is bought out over many years. This is commonly 10 years. At the end of the process, the employees who are vested receive numerous tax breaks going forward. This boosts long-term profitability. A manager is required. The fee is typically $15,000 annually.
Focus on Mental Health and Employee Development
Implementing wellness programs and policies to support employee mental health and investing in training and development are vital for productivity and retention. These attributes may not be make-or-break for new hires, but having strong systems to support employees has been shown to be a powerful attraction for prospective employees of all ages.
Health and wellness
Everybody wants to live to be 100 and running marathons. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but this is a broader consumer trend that is not only large and growing, but it is impacting the way people live in their homes. More households are seeking ways to grow and keep fresh food. The floor plans for homes now include spaces for meditation, exercise, and large pantries for food prep.
Hyper-Personalization in Marketing
Leveraging big data and AI, businesses will focus on delivering highly personalized marketing content to individual customers.
Innovative Payment Solutions
Offering diverse payment options like mobile wallets, contactless payments, and cryptocurrencies can attract a broader customer base and adapt to changing payment preferences.
Locked-in by Low Mortgage Rates
With mortgage interest rates now at 6 percent and higher, the millions of homeowners who refinanced their debt at 2 percent and 3 percent are reluctant to move. This is the mortgage-lock in effect. This effect is boosting the entire market for remodeling as more homeowners elect to upgrade their current home rather than go through much higher expense of buying and moving to accommodate changes in family composition or changes in lifestyle. This lock-in effect is also exacerbated by a shortage of housing which is driving home prices higher.
Modular Building | 3D Printing
The modular and system-built industry, which has been around for decades, will likely have its moment in the coming years and gain a larger share of new and remodeled construction market share. This only makes sense with the rising cost of housing, the lack of housing supply, and the need for greater efficiency in construction. Three-dimensional printing will be part of this trends. The tools and materials are improving and there appears to be more traction as a solution for custom replacement items.
More Construction Grads
There is evidence that younger now realize that a college degree does not carry the same value it once did. After decades going the wrong direction, more students are entering trade schools. Also creeping up each year is the number of students seeking out construction management programs. Your job is to find these young people and hire them.
More Drones
Drones have already changed the business. But we’ve not seen where this technology is going. Jobsite deliveries is one possible benefit on the horizon. Another is for more companies to identify homes badly in need of roof repair—flying over neighborhoods and sending canvassers out with images to show homeowners. New drone services will emerge to the benefit of remodelers and home pros who will find new and better business applications for them.
More Learning Management Systems Options
As more remodelers hire for attitude and aptitude and then commit to training them for roles in construction, sales and other remodeling functions, there will be a greater need for learning management systems. There are many options out on the market. For those committed to training, there will be more and better ways to generate customized training material.
More Ways to Exit
Most remodelers and home improvement pros are Baby Boomers at the end of their careers. Most will simply close the doors on their businesses when the time comes to retire. This is a shame, particularly for those whose businesses have solid reputations and deliver consistent profits at 9 percent or more. There’s value in forming an Employee Stock Ownership Plan as many are doing. There’s also more opportunity to sell to a key manager. And if you are on the home improvement replacement side of the industry, then there’s a chance you can sell your firm to one of the many private equity firms who are out there today. More savvy business owners will find a way to get something for their years of hard work.
National Home Improvement Brands
A decade ago, there were very few large, national home improvement brands. Today there are many who can make that claim. Renewal by Andersen, Leaf Home, Power Home Remodeling, Window World, and many others fit this description. This is significant because these big brands now have the power through big investments in branding and advertising to crowd out mindshare, which can impact smaller local and regional firms that comprise most of the industry.
New Lead-Gen Regulations
In a ruling with far-reaching implications for home improvement pros who depend on lead aggregators to fill their marketing funnels, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order Dec. 13 that ‘closes the lead-generation loophole’ in the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act or TCPA.
The lead-generation loophole, which allowed businesses to use certain exemptions in the TCPA, has long been a point of contention. Marketers have been utilizing lead-generation firms to navigate TCPA restrictions, allowing them to contact potential customers via phone without obtaining the necessary consent. The FCC order, however, marks a significant departure from this practice. The regulatory body now requires a more stringent approach to how businesses acquire and use consumer data for marketing purposes.
Office to Residential Conversions
The work-from-home trend is freeing up many office buildings for adaptive re-use to apartments and condos. Remodelers may want to get in on the action.
Outdoor Living
The outdoor living trend is about creating functional, comfortable outdoor spaces, that often mirrors to indoor living areas. The trend is increasing demand for features like expanded patios and decks, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and detached structures. Homeowners are also installing advanced lighting and audio-visual systems for entertainment. There is a strong desire to maximize living space, embrace nature, and entertain guests, and to blur indoor and outdoor boundaries.
Outdoor Wellness Spaces
The wellness-at-home trend is extending to outdoor spaces, with features like outdoor showers, spas, small pools, and meditation areas becoming more popular. This reflects a growing desire for wellness and relaxation spaces within the home environment.
Purpose Driven Organizations
According to a study conducted by Harvard Business Review’s Analytics Service—58 percent of companies with a clearly articulated purpose—a purpose beyond making profit and serving customers—grew 10 percent faster than the other 42 percent of companies who did not have a clearly articulated, larger purpose. The Harvard report defined purpose driven businesses as those with “an aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an organization and its partners and stakeholders and provides benefit to local and global society.”
Good examples of purpose-driven companies include Patagonia, the outdoor clothing manufacturer or Bombas, the sock supplier that donates clothing to homeless people.
This may seem a bit ‘touchy-feely’ to some business owner, but there are clear benefits to communicating a purpose for your company. Studies show that the purpose (whatever it might be) helps employees cultivate a sense of ownership in their work. That ownership then translates to intrinsic motivation and ultimately higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Remote Work | Decentralized Operations
The shift towards flexible work environments, such as remote or hybrid models, is becoming more common. This change impacts how businesses interact with customers, manage supply chains, and deliver products and services, offering advantages like access to a global talent pool and reduced overhead costs. With a significant number of people working from home, there is an increased demand for remodeling projects that repurpose existing spaces into home offices. This change is part of the ongoing adaptation to the remote work trend that has persisted since the pandemic.
Rising Demand for Off-the-Grid Options
A growing segment of the population is looking for ways to unplug… really unplug. For remodelers who operate in remote areas, it will be important to stay on top of ways help a small but growing cohort who wish to be more self-reliant. Products include rain-water capture systems, back-up power, alternative fuels like Propane, solar, geo-thermal etc.
Rising Home Prices
Rising home prices equates to rising levels of home equity. That equity can be tapped for making improvements. This is a key driver of the remodeling market in 2024. Be prepared with ideas on how you can help prospective clients with different ways to pay for repairs and improvements.
Shifts in Demography
At 69 million, the Baby Boom generation is no longer the biggest demographic cohort. That honor belongs to Millennials who number 72 million. Born between 1981 and 1994. This group is in their prime nesting, home buying and remodeling years. Baby boomers are still an important demographic target. The youngest of them are now 59. Some are upgrading their home so they can age-in-place. Others are fixing up to sell and move to warmer climates.
Small Home Improvement Projects
There’s a growing trend towards smaller home improvement and maintenance projects, especially among homeowners planning to stay in their homes for an extended period. This shift may be due to various factors including economic conditions and changing homeowner preferences.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is vital for small businesses as it offers cost-effective, direct engagement with customers. It enhances brand visibility, fosters community building, and allows targeted advertising. By leveraging these platforms, small businesses can reach a wider audience, gain valuable customer insights, and build brand loyalty in a competitive digital marketplace.
Supply-chain resilience
How many of you remember having to wait for back-ordered products during Covid? Nearly everyone was affected by the supply-chain crisis caused by the pandemic. Delayed cabinets and appliances also delayed timelines, elongated draw schedules, which created cash-flow problems. The world is back to normal. Supplies are flowing, but smart remodelers have solidified their supply chains. They are using technology and e-commerce to keep jobs moving in an uninterrupted fashion.
Sustainability
Sustainability in home construction focuses on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly materials. Key elements include solar panels, high-efficiency insulation, water conservation systems, and the use of recycled or sustainable building materials. Green design principles aim to minimize environmental impact and reduce the carbon footprint of homes.
The Presidential Election
When budgeting for an election year, Connecticut remodeler Stephen Gidley says he expects sales to be down a bit, all things being equal. Many of his clients are bankers, lawyers and New York professionals whose businesses can fluctuate base on changes in administrations. It’s like a pause button that starts around Labor Day and lasts through November, to paraphrase Gidley. He is not alone. Our research suggests that many remodelers see caution among prospects and clients during election years.
The Rise of Electric Vehicles
At the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in 2017, Tesla wowed attendees with a demonstration of full-scale garage and a Model X Tesla inside. There solar panels on the roof of the garage. There was a Tesla Powerwall inside the garage. And there was a Tesla charging station, plugged into the vehicle. The vision of a solar power offsetting the amount of electricity from the grid required to power and EV was very compelling. That vision is even more prominent today. Remodelers can create happy EV customers by demonstrating a knowledge of how to offer these types of upgrades.
Training First
Becoming a training organization is the only way to truly control your destiny in the remodeling industry in the coming years. And if more owners and entrepreneurs take this viewpoint to heart, the collective achievement will solve our ongoing labor shortage. Brian Altmann, owner of DBS Remodel in Poughkeepsie, New York is a good example of someone who has built a training organization. Altmann had a eureka moment several years ago. To grow his 37-year-old design build remodeling business, he needed more carpenters and sales consultants. Folks with experience were no longer responding to advertisements. Altmann’s bold transformation of DBS into a training organization is remarkable. While many firms have moved toward hiring people for fit and training them on-the-job. This is different. Processes are documented. Courses are created. And Altmann has become a coach.
Undersupply of Housing
Not enough entry level and first move up housing has been built in recent years. The need is for 2 million units per year based on demographics and job growth. The nation’s builders are constrained in many ways by regulations and other market barriers and as a result, the present supply is half of what it needs to be. The only alternative is to renovate and repair existing homes. That is a market driver.
Universal Design
Universal Design in remodeling focuses on creating spaces accessible and comfortable for everyone, regardless of age or ability. Key elements include wider doorways and hallways for mobility aids, no-step entries, lever-style door handles, lower countertop heights, and open floor plans for easy navigation. Bathrooms often feature walk-in showers with grab bars and non-slip floors. Good lighting, clear signage, and easy-to-reach storage are also crucial for functionality and safety.