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A New Kind of Remodeler To effectively market your products to remodelers, you have to understand who they are. So we thought we’d share a few insights with you.

The remodeler is young. | According to the US Census Bureau, a quarter of all remodeling company owners are between the ages of 25 and 34.

The remodeler is educated. | 64% of these owners have at least some college education.

The remodeler is marketing savvy. | This new breed of remodeler is focused on developing elaborate marketing strategies, incorporating advanced software programs and technologies, and creating business plans aimed at increasing revenue and broadening company offerings.

The remodeler doesn’t want trouble. | They want products that are reliable and worry-free. And if there ever is a problem, they want the supplier to fix it immediately.

The remodeler doesn’t shop bids. | Once you’ve established yourself as a trouble-free supplier, you’re golden. Because to a remodeler, the risk of using someone else is just too great.

The remodeler is thirsty for product knowledge. | The remodeling contractor needs to know what products are on the market. His business depends on it.

Compiled From: Solid Surface & Qualified Remodeler

How to Team Up With A Remodeler So You Both Sell More All too often, remodelers are too busy and too overworked to think about their own marketing. But there are ways manufacturers can help, and benefit in the process.

Neal Hendy, president of Neal’s Design Remodel, advises remodelers to partner with suppliers – many of whom may have deeper advertising pockets – to get marketing mileage. Co-op advertising is often a simple solution to solve both the remodeler’s and the supplier’s objectives.

Hendy also advises underscoring what it is that remodelers do best. “Remodelers have surpassed builders on customer service. That’s good news for remodelers going after referral business.” Manufacturers who can show builders how they can help them deliver on the “service” promise will go far in cementing a relationship with them.

Another challenge that remodelers face, especially when competing with new-home builders, is that they don’t have model homes to help sell their services.

As a substitute, some remodelers are outfitting their companys’ headquarters with room sets so customers can look at a limited number of products. To help the selling process further, remodelers are also stocking these “living areas” with a variety of catalogs, videos, project photos and displayed products to help clients make their selections. Manufacturers can support remodelers by providing them with the sales literature, video materials and products to help bring their “model home” to life.

Compiled From: Remodeling

Gen Xers aren’t the next driving force. They’re gaining speed now In the next few years, the last of the baby boomers will be leaving their remodeling prime – typically when the homeowner is between 35 and 45. But finding a viable replacement for boomers isn’t going to take a few years. It’s already happening.

Generation Xers are spending at a higher rate than boomers and are just now entering their key spending years. They’re spending more per household, reflecting their tendency to spend more than their parents. And they’re much more likely to buy when they’re single and look at their home as an investment more so than previous generations. Which all leads to one obvious conclusion: if you want to build your business, you need to court this age group.

Here are some other tidbits about Gen Xers to help you tailor your message and develop profitable inroads with them:

• 31% of Xers live in homes that are at least 45 years old, compared with 22% of baby boomers when they were in their 30s
• Their biggest concerns are value and quality, so Xers are much less likely to be motivated by “buy now” or limited-time offers
• Studies have shown that Xers are much more likely to find a brand they like and stick with it
• Before they make contact with a remodeler, Xers research your company and products online
• Because brand is so important to Xers, marketing efforts that promote your brand and drive traffic to your website are the best methods to stay top-of-mind.

Above all, the first key to successfully marketing to Generation X is to do it now. Because companies that are presently active with this group are going to have a big leg up on their competition when Xers are ready to remodel.

Compiled From: Professional Remodeler

Survey says partner up with the pros to get in on the action End users and constructions pros both play a part in how brands are selected. Here are some insights that may be helpful to you.

• Homeowners prefer a “hands-on” experience when making decisions, as more than half of the respondents rated product samples and displays as helpful aides
• 26% of new home buyers and remodeling customers said choosing the product type was more important than choosing brand
• Builders and remodelers make most brand decisions in 75% of the product categories studied.

Also, here’s a list (by product category) of the frequency with which builders and remodelers select brands for homeowners:

Compiled From: Prosales

Outdoor Living Means More Projects for Remodelers Homeowners are turning their back yards into extensions of their homes – with big patios and decks, furniture, grills, heaters, fire pits, lights and yard art. Manufacturers are picking up on this trend by producing items specifically designed to enhance these outdoor living spaces. And retailers are realizing the importance of merchandising these products in their stores. Customers want to visualize how the furniture, grill or chiminea will look in their back yard, so giving them the ability to interact with the items at the store level can go a long way.

According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), one-third of the remodeling dollars spent today goes into outdoor living space. What’s more, an outdoor deck or patio is one of the top three features people are asking for. Homeowners are turning their decks and patios into living spaces with all the comforts of an indoor room. Some are even enclosing them to create additional indoor living space.

Compiled From: Hardware Retailing

Emerging Home Trends According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, 90% of the remodeling industry’s growth over the past decade was fueled by homes worth $400,000 or more. These trends eventually filter down to the middle market and then into the new-home market. Here are some emerging areas that are on the verge of exploding.

Concrete and Glass Countertops | Concrete and glass are adding a fresh, modern look to the kitchen. Concrete is blending contemporary style with the practical, expressive functionality homeowners crave, while ultra-modern aesthetics are being created with glass. Highly polished and available in virtually any color, shape or thickness, glass is non-porous and stain-proof.

Spa-like Bathrooms | Homeowners are gaining more and more inspiration from upscale spas – where seats in the shower are just another posh amenity. Big space, huge soaking tubs, multiple showerheads, custom tile and dual sinks are just some of the amenities people are asking for. Some are going as far as heated floors and towel warmers. And when it comes to the toilet, moving it into a separate room or partitioned area is the latest trend.

Outdoor Kitchens | We’re not just talking about grills and patio furniture here. We’re talking about a full, functional kitchen complete with a cooking center, grill, sink with hot and cold water, modern appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves, and cabinets with plenty of storage space. They provide excellent living and entertainment areas and often times boost the resale value of the home.

Safety Lighting | Be it dimming lights for each room or wireless controls for the entire house, lighting control systems are invading homes across America. Even from outside the home, the owner can turn dark, distant spaces into warm, inviting environments with the touch of a button.

Energy Efficient Materials and Appliances | Perhaps the fastest growing trend, this idea will one day be the standard. Windows, doors, washing machines, dishwashers, ranges, refrigerators – everything will help homeowners be more energy efficient and save money.

Universal Design | Although the boomers are spending money on remodeling today, midlife Gen Xers will be looking for more space for their growing families. Renovations that allow easier access for wheelchairs and walkers – such as wider hallways and step-in showers with no lip – help the elderly with mobility issues and add a pleasing, more spacious aesthetic to the home.

Compiled From: Business Wire and realestate.msn.com

Get in consumers’ minds to get into their kitchens and baths When it comes to remodeling their homes, consumers are more knowledgeable than ever before. But mainly about products, not design. They’re absorbing a ton of remodeling-related content on cable television and the Internet, and in books and magazines. But the problem for most consumers is that there is so much information out there, they don’t know where to start.

“They see those shows on HGTV or they bring in a picture from a magazine and tell us they want their project to ‘look like that,’” says John Audet of Case Design/Remodeling. But what are consumers asking for in their kitchen and bath remodeling projects? Here are a few trends:

Design Elements |

• Value enhancing exterior features
• Luxury amenities, like heated floors, towel warmers, multiple showerheads and mounted flat screen televisions
• Architectural detail
• Energy efficient appliances and materials

Kitchen Trends |

• Opening up the kitchen to integrate it with the rest of the house
• Eliminating dining rooms altogether in favor of more space in the kitchen and an eat-in “country kitchen” area
• Making use of all available space
• Using specialty accessories to enhance the look and feel
• Paying more attention to function and energy efficiency of kitchen appliances

Master Bathroom Trends |

• Large, frameless enclosures with designer finishes and thick glass
• Multiple showerheads
• Dual shower controls
• More light and space, so two people can use it comfortably at the same time

Flooring Trends |

• Cork
• Bamboo
• Marmoleum

Compiled From: Professional Remodeler & Business Wire

The Growing Influence of Women in Remodeling If you’re wondering if women are making an impact in the male-dominated remodeling industry, consider this fact: 17 million single women own homes today.

As such, remodeling companies are shifting their marketing efforts towards women. And many have hired female salespersons to close the deal. At Harrell Remodeling in Mountain View, CA, 17 of their 22 employees are female.

According to Joan Stephens of Boise, Idaho-based Stronghold Remodeling, “Women homeowners are typically more comfortable dealing with a woman remodeler. And women are making a lot of the decisions when it comes to remodeling a home.”

Another emerging trend is women DIYers. Heidi Baker, co-owner of BeJane.com, a website dedicated to women DIYers, says that women are becoming very involved in their own home improvements. She cites a survey conducted by BeJane.com, which found that 67% of women describe themselves as DIYers.

Compiled From: Qualified Remodeler

Remodeling Advertisers Turning to the Web While the remodeling market continues to grow, ad spending in the two major remodeling pubs continues to dwindle.

Why? Because many marketers are reallocating their ad budgets to the web.

In fact, e-revenue at Reed’s Professional Remodeler is up 46% this year, while at Hanley Wood’s Remodeling, e-revenue is up 30%.

“What we’re losing in print, we’re gaining in electronic,” says Tony Mancini, Associate Publisher at Professional Remodeler. “We think this ongoing migration is going to stabilize at 50% print and 50% electronic revenue.”

But these figures cannot be ignored. The Internet is playing a bigger and bigger part in everyone’s lives – including that of the trades, who once had the reputation of not being very computer savvy at all.

Compiled From: Phillips Full, June 4, 2007

Window Trends By all indications, the replacement window and remodeling market will continue to grow as homeowners choose renovating their current homes over building new ones. And, with millions of houses needing their windows replaced, the opportunity is great – especially for those that focus their efforts in a few key areas:

Energy Efficiency | As energy costs continue to fluctuate, windows with built-in energy efficient features will be in demand.

Coastal Concerns | In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, there is an increased awareness for windows that protect from environmental elements. Remodelers will see a greater need to offer windows that provide impact, wind and water resistance.

Knowledge | Window manufacturers are realizing that they not only need to please their customers, but also their customers’ customers. Additional support services and training programs are starting to permeate every level of the window industry – especially as the focus skews heavily towards remodeling projects versus new construction.

Style | Homeowners today are looking to blend the outside and inside environments. They want bigger, better views and more natural light – two things that make a big impact on their homes in a relatively simple project.

Compiled From: Qualified Remodeler