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Home renovations a steady business in central Alberta during the pandemic

13/4/2021

*For Full story visit https://rdnewsnow.com/2021/04/12/home-renovations-a-steady-business-in-central-alberta-during-the-pandemic/
Central Albertans appear to be joining their fellow Canadians in considering an upgrade to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a year of the world-wide health crisis, according to findings from the 2021 Scotiabank Housing Poll, Canadian homeowners are more likely to plan renovations than buy and sell their current property or purchase an investment home, despite an active housing market.
The Scotiabank poll revealed six in 10 Canadian homeowners are planning to renovate in the next two years, with backyards, kitchens and bathrooms topping the list. Regionally, plans for renovations are highest in the prairie provinces, with 70 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and 62 per cent in Alberta.
Dustin and Crystal Marin, owners of Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd in Penhold, say the number of estimates being requested locally, has certainly been higher in recent months.
“We’ve seen a large increase in estimates, we’ve seen a large increase also in small-scale, independent contractors as well, says Dustin. “Typically, we see a slow-down from January to March if anything, and it picks back up in April.”
“I would say overall, sales have stayed pretty steady compared to previous years,” adds Crystal. “They haven’t drastically increased, but we haven’t not-worked. We’ve stayed busy this year for sure.”
In terms of living spaces being renovated most often, Dustin admits kitchens and bathrooms are getting a lot of attention in central Alberta.
“Sometimes it’s just a tub replacement and then a full bathroom, but it’s all over the place – honestly,” says Dustin. “I’d say the smallest one would be anywhere from the $4,000 to $15,000 range on these bathrooms.”

The Marin’s also acknowledge an impact that the housing market has on the home renovation industry.
“A lot of times when it’s a buyer’s market, people are trying to get their renovations as part of their mortgage,” explains Crystal. “So I’ll do quite a few estimates with people trying to see what it’s going to cost to fix that kitchen they don’t like in their new home. When it’s a seller’s market, you don’t see a whole lot of that.”
Crystal notes, however, that the pandemic has been anything but ‘business as usual’.
“We’ve had to adapt and make changes to how we operate things and our safety policy,” she points out. “When the pandemic started, like anybody else, you didn’t know how to move forward with projects, and customers were scared to move forward with their projects as well. Could we show up or did we have to stop construction in the middle of it?”
“The original shut-down was huge,” remarks Dustin. “It basically prevented us from working for two months plus, and the uncertainty of the customers wondering if they were going to lose their job. The early stages, it was huge to go to a basement development estimate and try to follow up with it and some lost their jobs in between from measure to follow up, and it was really tough.”
Crystal says the supply chain has also been impacted by the pandemic.
“Common materials that we need aren’t always available or you have to give three or four weeks for it to come in,” says Crystal. “The average material costs have almost more than doubled or increased by two-and-a-half times at least, so that’s been interesting to discuss with customers as well.”
As a result of the rising prices for many materials, the Marins suggest there’s no time like the present to get a renovation done.
“I would say to definitely research the contractors. There is lots of small-scale, independent companies that have started up, so you want to make sure they have proper credentials and you’re not going to be left in the dust if they decide to take your money and run.”
Visit Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd for more information.
by Sheldon Spackman

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Welcome to Red Deer Chamber!

22/1/2021

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Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd. are now proud members of the Red Deer Chamber. We are so excited to be a part of the chamber and to interact with our local businesses as well as have the opportunity to be more involved in our community.

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Best of TrustedPros 2019 WINNER!

24/3/2020

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Great News! Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd. has won a Best of TrustedPros 2019 Award for General Contracting and Carpentry! Big Congratulations to us!
Our excellent customer service, fantastic skill in our trade, honest professionalism, and business relationship success has paid off.

This award is only given to members who have received the most reviews with the highest ratings and fewest complaints from their clients, suppliers, and employees within a specific category for 2019 while maintaining a high TrustScore. Wow!

Big Thank You to all our AMAZING customers!

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Bild Central Alberta Award "Rookie Booth 2020"

9/3/2020

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We have been awarded the Rookie of the Year for our booth at the Red Deer Home Show 2020! We are so proud of this accomplishment! Thank you to all that made the Home Show a success! #Bildcentralalberta #rdhomeshow2020

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Best of HOUZZ 2020 (Service)

18/2/2020

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Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd.
of Penhold, AB
Awarded Best Of Houzz 2020

The Annual People’s Choice Award from the Houzz Community Highlights Home Remodeling and Design Professionals with Most Popular Designs and Top Ratings

Penhold, Alberta, February 12, 2020 – Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd. of Penhold, Alberta has won a “Best Of Houzz” award for Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. This Family owned & operated business was chosen by the millions of homeowners that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.5 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best Of Houzz badge is awarded annually, in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design awards honor professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a pro's overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in 2019. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognized with the Photography award.

A “Best Of Houzz 2020” badge will appear on winners’ profiles as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“The Experience you deserve”

“This year’s Best Of Houzz awards go to an incredibly talented and service-oriented group of home remodeling and design professionals, and we’re proud to highlight the winners on the Houzz website and app,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “This award is particularly meaningful as it reflects the sentiment of the millions of homeowners in the Houzz community who are hiring home professionals for their projects across the U.S. and around the world.”

Follow Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd. on Houzz https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/marin-construction-and-renovation-ltd-pfvwus-pf~1043924484

About Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd.
Marin Construction is a family owned and operated Construction Company that specializes in home renovations and custom finishing. Dustin began operations in 2010 with Crystal joining in 2015. This amazing husband wife team is unique to the industry offering a collaboration of construction and design expertise. Dustin and Crystal have always enjoyed working together and are always looking for ways to educate and improve upon their operations. The year of 2020 brought many changes to the company including an ambitious name change and rebranding venture as well as celebrating their 10 year anniversary in business! Dustin and Crystal invite new clients to experience for themselves the difference Marin Construction & Renovation Ltd. has to offer.

About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Houzz is a registered trademark of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.

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