Kiwis love to renovate, and it’s easy to see why. Renovations can transform our homes and have the ability to create big profits. Spend your money wisely and you’ll reap great rewards; overcapitalise and you could end up with more mortgage than house. The most important thing is to have a realistic idea of cost.
Tradies say they could work until midnight every day and still not get through all the work on their books as Wellingtonians splash their holiday savings on home renovations.
Many have become uncomfortably familiar with the interiors of their homes after spending weeks there during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Overseas holidays are off the cards for the foreseeable future because of border restrictions, so some people are deciding to use that money to give their homes a facelift instead.
Kitchen Studio Wellington owner John Wilson said business was up 50 per cent in June compared to the same month in the previous year.
He said customers were facing a three-week wait for consultations.
"June was a record month for us in terms of sales, dollars, and units, and people are coming into the showroom talking about the fact that they can't travel and say they're going to spend the money on renovating their kitchen.
"Some have had a gutsful of living in it I think."
Wilson said they were also starting to experience stock shortages because of supply chain issues and demand.
People are being told to wait for up to a month for curtain and kitchen consultations. Photo / Getty Images
Blackwell Plumbing and Gas owner Josh Blackwell said the past few weeks had been hectic.
"I'm working 70-hour weeks just trying to keep up, so we're very busy."
He said his business was booked up for the next six to eight weeks.
"It feels like Christmas over and over."
Guthrie Bowron Thorndon owner Mark Rickard also said they were booked out for up to four weeks in advance for curtain consultation and measures.
"Our curtain team has never been busier than they have at the moment. We've been booked well ahead of time, which is great. A lot of people are obviously keen to redecorate their homes with curtains and blinds."
He said there was usually a bump in business for curtains in the colder months but the post Covid-19 demand far exceeded that.
"I've had a few comments from customers who've been sitting in their homes for lockdown for six or seven weeks who've got bored of their interiors or realise they need a change.
"Others have been saving for holidays but since they won't be going overseas for a while, they are spending their money on some home decorations."
Before the Covid-19 lockdown the Thorndon store did one month's worth of business in about three days.
