Founded in 1958, Airoom is a building and remodeling company servicing the City of Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Marty Meadow, a designer and manager for remodels at Airoom, spoke with BlockShopper.com about what's moving home renovations and the difference between renovating an older and newer home.

BlockShopper: What are the remodeling trends right now in the western suburbs?

MM: What we're seeing a lot of right now are a lot more simpler interior projects, like renovating a kitchen or bath, reorganizing floor plans or doing exterior renovation work. The additions we're seeing people looking to add tend to be simpler things like sun rooms and family rooms and not the million dollar projects people were doing. People are taking a 25-year-old house (in inner-ring suburbs like Wilmette, Oak Park or Skokie) and bringing it up to modern standards now rather than larger projects.

BlockShopper: What do you think is driving that?

MM: I think all of this is driven by the fact that people don't want to get into a much larger home right now. People are afraid about the real estate expense of moving because real estate taxes are tremendously different for a brand new home (in newer subdivisions in towns like Oswego, Naperville or Plainfield) versus a 1990 home that they're already in.

BlockShopper: What sort of things are being done to make an older house more attractive?

MM: Energy efficiency has become a big thing. Everyone wants those tax credits and materials that are sustainable and can be reuse. People want to save money so they go for better insulated windows and walls, that sort of thing. It makes a lot of sense and, on top of that, it makes the house look better.

BlockShopper: What sort of cosmetic changes are people making inside of their homes?

MM: A lot of the master bathrooms are getting rid of their whirlpools and are putting in giant showers instead. That also leaves room to add another vanity or linen space or even a washer/dryer. We're seeing this now because people are realizing that they don't like sitting in bathtubs. They'll tell me they used the whirlpool in the first week and never touched it again. With the multiple shower heads and body sprays in these new showers, homeowners feel they can get a better experience with a better design and have more space.

A lot of this interior work is need-based because the homes may be older and built with production grade materials. Production homes were built with cheaper materials and aren't starting to fall apart now, 25 years along the line. The structure of these homes is fine but maybe the vanities have worn out or the floors have worn out or the siding was inexpensive.

BlockShopper: What sort of exterior renovations are becoming popular?

MM: A lot of the siding on the older homes was production grade, which had about a maximum life of 25 years, so it's starting to get older. People are looking for more style, colors, trim details and textures now. We're putting up multiple finishes from brick and stone or siding that varies in width with heavier trims around the windows and custom shutters. It's all about individualization, especially in the suburbs where the houses were similar in style. Now they can make them unique.

BlockShopper: What additions are people looking for?

MM: We're doing more a master suite addition and sunrooms are very popular. What we're not doing now are things that double the house size or anything like that.

BlockShopper: What renovations are you seeing in the newer homes?

MM: Usually it's the lower level we renovate in the newer homes. By finishing the basements, homeowners can increase floor space by a third without causing a real estate tax event because it's been accounted for. The renovations really run the gamut, from adding bars and bathrooms to putting in health clubs, gaming areas, libraries and additional bedrooms.

Filed under: No story tag