WeLoveLocal

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 8 HOME IMPROVEMENT By Heather F. Larson Special to We Love Local While working from home these past fewmonths, you may have noticed you need more office space than the kitchen table can provide, or perhaps you’re longing for a new deck so you can escape from that kitchen table.Maybe soundproofing would eliminate the roar of the washing machine that drowns out your business calls. A Zillow survey conducted by The Harris Poll revealed many homeowners want to continue to work from home after the pandemic. They are happy in their homes but need designated office space, so they’re considering finishing a base- ment, attic or garage. But is it safe to let con- struction workers into your home yet? “Everyone will have a different level of comfort about allowing strangers into their home at this time,” says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “To gainmore confidence, ask a potential contractor what you can expect when he enters your home.” She recommends asking the following questions: Howmany people will be on the job?What health and safety precautions will they be taking?What kind of per- sonal protective equipment will they be wearing? How will they clean and sanitize the space before they leave? How to improve your home safely, indoors and out “Most pros have adopted COVID-19 policies that they’ve posted to their web- sites,” says Matt Ehrlichman, CEO of Seattle-based Porch .com, which connects homeowners with contrac- tors.“This is now table stakes in the new normal.” If a website doesn’t answer all your questions, Ehrli- chman suggests requesting information about whether or not contractors take the temperatures of their employees and send home anyone who shows symp- toms. Are they disinfecting their hands frequently and conducting a thorough cleaning of their gear between customer visits? Do they wear gloves when possible? Do they have recent references for the work they’ve done since the shelter-in-place directives were put in place? “Call those customers and ask if they’d hire the service again,” says Ehrlichman. The projects homeowners are currently most averse to appear to be optional or deferrable major interior home improvements that require one or many contractors to be inside the home for an extended period of time, Ehrlichman says. Revamping your exterior space If you don’t feel comfort- able with strangers inside your home, consider an outdoor improvement project. Ehrlichman says the projects he’s seen grow in popularity during the past few months include deck construction, land- scaping, fence installation, exterior painting, patio construction and siding replacement. “We believe one driver is that hiring professionals for work on the outside of the home feels safer right now,” Ehrlichman says. “Beyond that, we believe folks are planning to spend more of their summer at home and in the back- yard, and they’re making functional and aesthetic improvements to make that time more enjoyable and practical.” Indoors, according to Ehrlichman, there’s been a remarkable increase in air conditioning projects and within the home-cleaning category. How to get a deal The supply and demand dynamics for most projects are more or less back to normal. “I don’t think homeown- ers should expect most projects to be significantly cheaper or more expensive right now,” says Ehrli- chman.“Of the projects we see on Porch.com every week, prices have been fairly stable.” If there’s a place where pricing may favor home- PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES Contractors working inside your home should have proper personal protective equipment and clear safety standards. Continued on next page