The Perfect Remodeling Storm
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Michael was busy holding court in the Sustainability Track during the Remodeling Show last week. Rather than asking him to write something new, we’re republishing, with permission, an article that he published on October 27 on BuildIntel, a web platform where “marketing experts share their views on the building industry.”
“We were unable to make the Remodeling Show this year,” wrote Nick Eber, managing editor of BuildIntel. “So we called one of our favorite remodelers and a recognized leader of the green building movement to shed some light on the future of the remodeling industry.” Michael’s musings follow, edited slightly.
I believe the remodeling industry is going through a significant change, and I feel it is a change for the better. A convergence of forces could produce the perfect storm for change.
Remodelers: More Professional
For decades the industry has been a mixed bag of artisans, philosophers, and scoundrels, few of whom intentionally set out to become remodelers. They set their own schedules, made their own rules, and there was a less than 50/50 chance that the work would be performed properly (if at all).
Over the last decade we have seen a massive wave of professionalism sweep over the industry as remodelers began to take ownership of their industry and companies sought to differentiate themselves from their less-savory counterparts. Education and professional designations offered by industry associations became all the rage, and soon remodelers were on committees, serving on boards, and working to raise the bar for everyone.
The housing boom didn’t hurt things either, encouraging a whole new breed and generation of remodeler to come onto the scene. The number of remodelers who hold an MBA or spent significant time in corporate America is larger than ever, and their approach to business is, well, business-like. Marketing, metrics, accountability, process… all [were] hot topics at trade shows like The Remodeling Show.
Government: Finding Solutions
Rules and regulations may not be words loved by many, but they have their place in our society, and they are increasingly being applied to the work done on existing homes.
The requirement for licensing of contractors, continuing education, and energy-specific education requirements is moving to more states. New laws regarding the discovery and mitigation of lead and radon are in place. Tax credits tied to performance and testing requirements are opening the doors for cities and states to build new minimum requirements for construction and development.
Perhaps most importantly, both the federal and local units of government are finally looking at our existing housing stock as part of the solution as well as the problem.
Environmental Consciousness: Interest and Affordability
Enormous progress has been made in the last few years in acknowledging and taking steps to address our changing place in the natural world. Interest in green building grows steadily, and I am increasingly encouraged by the number of remodelers of all ages and from regions who come to my lectures and express both excitement and increased understanding of what it really means to think and act with sustainability in mind.
The number of sustainable products that have entered the mainstream has dramatically improved in just the past year. These introductions have improved the ease and cost for remodelers to build green, which increases the number of remodelers who are more comfortable talking green with homeowners in a positive, rather than dismissive, tone.
The Perfect Storm
A convergence of professionalism and businesses runs on systems, political will, and broad consumer interest. We are truly on the verge of an explosion of green building that will change the way we remodel forever. The relationship between the built environment (structure) and the natural environment (us) has a real opportunity to improve.
Remodelers who embrace green building, and take the time to learn how to work with it rather than against it, will be well ahead of their counterparts in the years to come. The future of remodeling has never looked brighter (or greener)!
Michael Anschel is the owner and principal of Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build, a nationally recognized and award-winning design and build firm and a committed leader to the Green building movement in Minnesota. He blogs for REMODELING on Tuesdays and the occasional Friday. Michael also serves on the board of Minnesota GreenStar and is CEO of Verified Green, Inc., which consults with builders, remodelers, architects, and state and city officials on Green building. To read Michael's other posts on Green remodeling, click on the link to the right, at the bottom of "about the blogger."
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