Last fall our Leadership Team felt we needed to address the outdated appearance of the inside and outside of our facilities.

After much prayer and planning, we launched our Love Life campaign on Feb. 15 with an all church banquet.

We received nearly $30,000 in commitments at the banquet and currently have received nearly $25,000 in contributions, which is very significant for a church our size.

Then, COVID-19 hit our world and we suspended our gatherings for 90 days.

In June, we began to address these issues on the inside. At first, we threw out and gave away dumpster loads of outdated and unused items. That was quite fun.

Then we started in on the remodel. We have enlarged our lobby, updated our walls and floors and improved the appearance of our entire facility. With the new floors and newly painted walls, it is looking beautiful.

We have made several improvements outside as well.

We are also hoping to paint the outside of our building and resurface our parking lot.

We have nearly finished the inside. There is still some furniture to put in place and some trim work that needs to be completed.

Two of our parishioners, Eugene Stillman and Ricky Clifton, have been working nearly nonstop for three full months probably around 400 donated hours by each man. Scott and Sarah Chenault have also given us many hours of their time. Jeff and Rose Blaize and their son, Josh, have completely renovated our childrens department.

What an enormous blessing all these people have been to our church family.

Ellen Blaize, Becky Dilley and Sarah Chenault have been our interior design team. Many others have contributed their time, too.

Although we have spent all that has been contributed, we have written for a grant to help us complete the outside.

One of our members said to me recently, Our facility looks loved.

It really does.

We are thankful to God for his provision and grateful to those in our congregation for helping us accomplish what has been completed.

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Life Church of the Nazarene remodels its facility - The Daily Star-Journal

Patrons who visit the newly renovated Trappeze Pub will notice several upgrades to the restaurant and taproom, but the most immediately recognizable change will be the disappearance of the Highwire Lounge, which occupied the space next to Trappeze at 269 Hull St. prior to the temporary closure of both establishments in April.

We loved the building and loved the space, but it was clear that it had become several different spaces and identities stitched together, said Trappeze general manager Sam Wells, noting that customers often didnt realize Trappeze and Highwire were part of the same business. Its really just the name Highwire thats going away. The space is still there.

Trappeze has continued to expand since its opening in 2007, and the remodeling project was something that had been in the works for some time. During the six months the pub and lounge were closed, Trappeze worked with local contractors to expand while staying within its original square footage, creating a large dining space that will allow for socially distanced tables with little sacrifice to its overall capacity.

Theyve also implemented sanitizing stations, provided weekly on-site testing for their staff, and will require masks for entry and seating.

We obviously werent expecting (COVID-19) to be one of the elements influencing the remodel, said Wells. But it has helped us plan for situations like this, and find better logistical ways to operate and keep everyone safe. Oneta Woodworks built Plexiglas dividers that we put between tables. Were huge nerds for craft beer, craft cocktails, and good pub food, but our No. 1 priority is keeping our staff and community comfortable.

As for the menu, customers can expect the same food including the beloved fries and dipping sauces as before, and the always-changing list of spirits will include gin, whiskey, tequila and cocktails created behind a massive new 80-foot bar that was custom built by Oneta. A completely new draft system with 33 taps was also installed, making beer-serving more efficient.

Trappeze has always been a beverage-forward place, all about craft beer, all about small businesses and local businesses, said Wells. Were not changing anything about that.

Trappeze originally planned to reopen Thursday, Sept. 3, but had a slight delay, pushing the date back to Friday. Should no other issues arise, Trappeze will be open the first weekend of September.

Walls are going up this week! New bar top coming soon... . Pic 2: adding some seating and drinking rails in this nook by the bar. . Pic 3: adding another booth in the corner by this window. Think we should just leave the wall bright yellow? . See yall soon, cheers! #remodel #renovation #trappezepub #hullstreetbrews

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Trappeze Pub to reopen in renovated space. What does that mean for Highwire? - Online Athens

The $55 million project to convert the long-derelict Warwick Hotel on Duncan Plaza into a 154-unit apartment complex for Tulane University's medical students and faculty got underway on Wednesday, after City Hall gave its final approval for the plan.

In February, Tulane University and the property's owner, a privately-owned developer called the New Orleans Redevelopment Fund, agreed to a long-term lease deal after NORF's original plan to revive the property as a hotel had stalled, even before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the city's hospitality industry.

The university's president, Michael Fitts, said the new residential complex is a key part of Tulane's plans to expand its downtown campus significantly as its biomedical operations thrive, especially during the pandemic which has helped to turbocharge the funds available to develop a vaccine as well as for other biomedical priorities.

"We've had the best year in our history in garnering research grants, especially for COVID-19 but also for other research," said Fitts, speaking at a "groundbreaking" ceremony at the site on Gravier Street on Wednesday to mark the start of construction. "This type of research explosionis going to benefit the city, with greater innovation, start-ups, and the expanding the tax base as a result of what goes on down at this campus."

Tulane University has joined NORF, an private investment fund, in a plan to convert the old Warwick Hotel into 154 apartments for medical staff, faculty and students.

Fitts added that the residential expansion project "symbolizes not only the future of Tulane but also the future of New Orleans in so many different ways."

As well as the Gravier Street apartments, Tulane also will be the anchor tenant of the refurbished Charity Hospital around the corner, another property that has been unoccupied since Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago and which is slated for a $300 million rehabilitation. Tulane will be leasing 350,000 square feet of space, 100,000 square feet of which will be converted into laboratory facilities, with the rest given over to teaching space, offices and study areas, to serve approximately 1,000 staff and students.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who made the trip across Duncan Square for the ceremony on Wednesday, said that it will be good to see one of the city's long-standing eyesores finally get a makeover. "As I'm sitting over in City Hall and looking over here saying, 'wow, this building sure is one of those armpits I talked about when I was a councilwoman,'" she said. "But you know it always feels good to get a shave."

The Mayor noted plans to move City Hall from the other side of Duncan Plaza on Perdido Street, possibly to the Municipal Auditorium in Armstrong Park, freeing up more space to develop that area of the city as part of the fledgling "Spirit of Charity Innovation District".

"This is part of the growth and transformation that will be in the heart of the city of New Orleans," she said.

The old Warwick Hotel, right, is located near the Tulane University School of Medicine in downtown New Orleans. The building will be converted into an apartment for students and faculty.

At the Warwick conversion, which is expected to be completed in 12 months, the ground floor will have retail, including a restaurant, a caf, and a "grab-and-go" convenience store, which Tulane is also leasing and will rent back to vendors.

Fitts has forecast that the university's research spending will increase by 50% over the next five years, from about $200 million in 2019, driving the expansion of the downtown campus further.

"Five years from now, I'm seeing this as an incredibly vibrant district," he said.

The article has been revised to make it clear that Tulane University is the leasing partner in the project, which is owned by NORF and its investors.

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The $100M project to remodel the Warwick Hotel as Tulane U residence hall: See project details and timeline - NOLA.com

Q&A

Might want to read this before splurging on that ergonomic home-office chair you've been eyeing.

Power Home Remodeling co-CEO Asher Raphael thinks the office is irreplaceable. Hes right: You cant play ping pong from your home office! Photos courtesy of Power Home Remodeling.

When you think of stereotypically utopian workplaces, your mind likely heads straight to Silicon Valley startups, flush with juice bars, mini-golf putting greens, gigantic slides, you get the idea. Where your mind almost certainly doesntgo is to a home remodeling company. And yet, Power Home Remodeling, based in Chester, is routinely ranked as one of the top workplaces in the country. Do they have a slide? No. But there are ping pong tables! Perhaps even more impressively, they take their employees (some 1,800 people) on an annual trip to Mexico.

The pandemic has laid bare plenty of hypocrisy in our society. Heres one minor example: Many of the companies who used to grandstand about their office perks are now grandstanding about their flexible work-from-home policies that allow workers to avoid the office. So has the pandemic killed the office? At least in some industries, the answer looks to be trending toward yes. A study from the Harvard Business School recently predicted that after the pandemic is over, one in six workers will work from home at least 40 percent of the time. Then again, predicting the post-COVID future has often proven to be a futile endeavor. But Power Home CEO Asher Raphael at least knows this: In his opinion, the perma-WFH trend is terrible. So we caught up with him (yes, virtually) to discuss why the in-person office still matters.

Whats the current work from home policy at Power? Have you returned to the office?

Weve not. We shut down the offices in mid-March. And then we also shut down all major business operations. Technically we fall into an essential business, but we decided that we needed to prioritize our peoples health and safety. As of right now, were going to continue to have our offices closed. But the reality is that were not in a rush. Weve proven we can perform virtually. But the long-term plan is that every office completely reopens. So when does that happen, everybody coming back in full again? My guess is it wouldnt be until the end of Q1 or Q2 of next year.

It seems like you style Power Home as a sort of new-age company, in terms of the relationship with the workforce and the perks that you provide, like taking all of your employees on a trip to Mexico every year. Other companies that share the reputation as a forward-looking, visionary type of employer places like Facebook or Twitter are telling workers they can stay home for the foreseeable future, or in Twitters case, forever. Do you think thats a mistake?

Respectfully, I do think that its a mistake. Its an overreaction to a situation that is a moment in time. Im responsible for our employees well-being, and I want them not only, first and foremost, to be healthy, which is why our offices are closed right now, but I want more than healthy. I want people to be happy. And I want even more than happy. What I really look for is fulfillment. And I think a big part of living a fulfilling life is having deep, meaningful relationships with people. Being physically present is an important part of that.

It strikes me as a somewhat cynical move for a company to permanently move everything from the office to home. In a sense its just transferring costs that are normally borne by the employer onto the employee. An employee working at home might now need better quality internet, or a printer, or what have you. Do you see that decision as simply a strategic, bottom-line thing?

Im the least cynical person I know, but I absolutely think that the decision to keep employees at home permanently is a financially based decision, where employers are seeing an opportunity to cut out huge line items from their overhead, and I also think its a knee-jerk reaction to what people are hearing from their employees. Meaning, a lot of employees or prospective employees say, I want to work from home. I dont want to deal with a commute, I want to be able to work from anywhere. But you used the word visionary before. The leader of a business really needs to be a chief visionary officer. You have to see things that other people dont, and not just try to make everyone happy and say yes to everything, but to know what is actually in the best interest of your people.

Im intrigued by that. Youve been ranked a top workplace many times, and I assume that has something to do with the fact that you listen to your employees. A Gallup poll from April found that more than 60 percent of U.S. workers were working from home, and 60 percent of that group would prefer to keep working from home as much as possible. You said earlier that your goal is to make workers happy. If workers say they want to be working from home, does that change the calculus? Or do you think you know whats best?

The thing is, I dont want to stop at happy. I want to go beyond happy and get to fulfilled. And the job of a leader is to listen to your people as one of your information sources, but youre supposed to make decisions that are in their best interest. And to have a vision of something that they might not have yet. And if we just said yes to everything that a prospective employee said they wanted, not only do I think that wouldnt be a way to run a business, but I dont think that people would end up being happy, fulfilled or successful. Our job is to push people out of their comfort zones and to find ways to get more out of them than they even knew existed to begin with.

Furthermore, when you look at those polls that say that employees would rather work from home than come into the office, I think one of the reasons is because employers arent creating a dynamic, enjoyable work environment. If your work environment is not conducive to work, its not conducive to relationship building, if your work environment doesnt allow you to bring your honest true self to work, if your work environment isnt fun, if it isnt inspirational, then of course Id rather work from home. So the real challenge is creating an environment that people want to come to. And that is a very achievable goal.

One of the ironies to me of this work from home push is that, pre-pandemic, all people ever talked about when it came to the workplace was the need for open offices and collaboration. And now employers are saying, Never mind, you dont even need to be in the office. Does that not seem like a pretty massive contradiction?

I think its a total contradiction. Were primarily a millennial organization. And I think millennials are the ones that are actually missing the office more than anyone. Our employees, like I think so many others throughout the country, are feeling real issues of loneliness and anxiety. Specifically those that have been part of a community I think theyre struggling with it. And the overwhelming feedback were getting from our people, who we poll weekly, is that they miss the culture and they miss their colleagues that are more than just colleagues theyre friends and theyre family.

The open office is probably the most notable office reform of recent years, but theres also been talk lately, among some employers, about instituting a four-day work week. Is that something that makes sense to you?

Im the wrong guy to talk about a four-day workweek [laughs]. My organization operates seven days a week, and my goal is to create a work environment and work that people thoroughly enjoy. I dont want Sundays to be a hard day for people because they dread Mondays. I want people to be excited to get back to work. Instead of focusing on work-life balance, I really want to focus on work-life integration that for all the things our employees are passionate about, we offer them avenues within the space for them to dive into.

Do you think theres something self-serving from the business owner who says, I want people to be integrating work and life together? To frame work not just as work but as something so fundamental that youre always kind of working a little bit convince me thats not just you being sneaky and strategic.

I like you challenging me like this. My response to it would be: If Im not aligned with the employees, then that would create a crack in the structure and foundation of the business. I want to be aligned with our people. So that means that the things that I would want from them, or for them, should be in the interests of the business as well. And when thats not the case, theres a problem. The real question is, what is the motivation for the organization? Is it to enrich the life of the owners of the business, or of the employees? My view is that I work for the employees, not the other way around.

You mentioned Mexico. The amount of times people have said, How much money would you save if you eliminated that line item? Thats small potatoes. We spend 2 percent of top-line revenue just on internal events. [Power Homes revenue last year was north of $790 million, according to the company.] Not for a customer or prospective customer just for employees. That investment, I believe, enriches their life. But I also think that it comes back, because theyre happier, more fulfilled, healthier employees. And I dont know a single employee that is more productive when theyre not happy.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Power Home Remodeling CEO Asher Raphael on Why Perma-Work-From-Home Is a Big Mistake - Philadelphia magazine

Every home is an investment of some kind. For property flippers, its all about a quick and profitable turnaround. For investors, its about making the property as attractive as possible to prospective renters. And, finally, for homeowners, its about building sustainable, long-term valuethe traditional American nest egg. While these three types of property owners may have different goals and objectives, the common thread between them is the importance of adding value to the property and, whether now or in the far future, realizing a strong return on investment.

The best way to add both long- and short-term value to a home is through strategic, value-boosting upgrades. In this article, we review several projects that every type of ownershort-term flippers, property managers, and homeownerscan benefit from completing.

In many respects, a kitchen remodel is the quintessential home renovation project. Given the kitchens importance to American home life, its no surprise that renters and homebuyers have such a love affair with beautiful, upgraded kitchens. According to data from bankrate.com, property owners who invest in a minor kitchen remodel, on average, see a 77.6% ROI. However, its certainly possible to beat the curve and get more out of your project. It all comes down to limiting your upfront costs and maximizing the homes market value.

That 77.6% average is based off the average cost of a kitchen remodel (a little over $23,000). Many owners can complete their remodel for far less. Refacing or repainting existing cabinets, for example, is far less expensive than replacing them altogether. Theres no similar substitute for high-quality stone countertops, but you canand shouldtalk to your contractor about any special inventory or discounts you might be able to get. Then theres the stuff you can complete yourself, like laying flooring, painting walls, and installing lighting fixtures. By limiting your overhead, youll squeeze extra value out of your kitchen remodel.

Next to kitchens, bathroom remodels are one of the most popular pre-sale projects. Just as in that space, the average ROI here is solid: 70.1%, according to data from Zillow. But, you dont have to settle for that. On average, property managers, flippers, and homeowners spend just north of $19,000 on a mid-range master bathroom remodel.

However, bathroom remodels are relatively DIY-friendly projects, so long as you have the time and are not planning on moving walls, pipes, or electrical outlets. Most homeowners are capable of laying their own tile, replacing a toilet, adding new sink fixtures, and putting in a vanity. Doing all this will take a lot of elbow grease, but it also means you avoid thousands in labor costs. Of course, this is well within the wheelhouse of experienced fix-and-flip owners.

These projects should be considered on an as-needed basis. Statistically, a garage door replacement is one of the highest-ROI projects out there (94.5% ROI on average, per Zillow), but doesnt make much sense for the home unless your existing door is damaged or failing. Context is everything here. Generally speaking, if your home has a major defect, youll want to fix that first before moving onto projects purely categorized as upgrades. After all, these flaws may hold up the sale (or rental) of the home and, ultimately, even detract from its value.

Consider your homes cooling and heating systems. If yours are relatively new, regularly maintained, and providing efficient indoor comfort, you can move on to other projects ahead of sale. Conversely, if your HVAC systems are aging (10+ years old), have a track record of performance issues, and are more than likely to get flagged in a home inspection, youre probably better off pivoting and taking care of them first. Replacing an air conditioner or furnace may not be an exhilarating project, but it qualifies as an essential one that will save you a ton of time and headache down the road.

Samantha Johnson is a remodeling writer for Superior Stone & Cabinet, a cabinet and countertop superstore in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

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Remodeling Projects with the Best ROI - Think Realty

CHARLOTTE Remodelmate, a home renovation technology company serving Charlotte and the surrounding areas, is changing the landscape of bathroom remodeling.

With an emphasis on transparency and efficiency, the companys revolutionary approach to remodeling consultation provides unrivaled convenience, along with the peace of mind, to homeowners and contractors alike.

The companys goal to eliminate in-home consultation is brought to life through their virtual options. By visiting Remodelmate.com, homeowners can engage in a live chat, receive estimates on standard projects, and set up a video consultation, if needed.

Logan Phillips, head of operations at Remodelmate, said that through their formal consultations can occur at practically any time on any day. Phillips described the many benefits that Remodelmate provides to both homeowners and contractors, including helping homeowners to file permits, decide on proper materials, and design renovations, in addition to the inherent convenience of a virtual consultation. Phillips said that Remodelmate helps contractors to save time and money on advertising, pursuing leads, and giving quotes, by acting as a connection between contractors and clients.

If a video consultation, or one of the standard projects offered by Remodelmate, doesnt meet your needs, the company has begun to roll out a 3D scanning mobile app, allowing for the most accurate representation of the specifications of your project. Despite the companys impressive technology, its most revolutionary implementation could be its pricing structure.

Traditionally, Phillips said, homeowners will pay roughly one-third of a project cost at the beginning of a project, one-third at the halfway point, and one-third upon completion. Remodelmate, instead, uses a payment structure referred to as Milestones, breaking down payments based on individual aspects of a project, such as a vanity installation, lighting installation, tile installation or anything else to be remodeled, and acquiring payment only upon completion of individual tasks.

Through this structure, Phillips said, a full remodel will consist of roughly 15 to 20 payments over the course of a project. Phillips said that the Milestones format provides more control with less risk for all parties involved, as either party can walk away without loss if satisfactory outcomes are unachievable. The Milestones format provides other inherent benefits as well, particularly in the realm of cost transparency, as a customer knows exactly how much and when they are paying for each piece of the project. Contractors, as well, know exactly how much money they will receive for each task that they perform. As Milestones are paid for upon completion, the only upfront cost for starting a project is a $100 booking fee.

The company, Phillips said, believes in brevity and clarity, and from their offerings, that is evident. For more information on Remodelmate, to receive a quote, or to book your consultation today, visit remodelmate.com.

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Remodelmate: Eliminating In-Home Consultation for Bathroom Remodeling - The Weekly Post

In How to Remodel a Life, reality makeover shows become the innovative model for helping a person find a sustainable path to long-term recovery from both destructive drinking and mental illness. A graduate of Wellesley College (B.A) and Yale Divinity School (M.A.R.), Hope Andersen came back from the brink to publish her first novel at the age of 60. Moving beyond her struggles with alcoholism and bipolar disorder, she found a way to put her life back together and express her inner voice.

Wanting to help others struggling with the same challenges, Andersen constructs her new memoir as a how-to guide that looks at the recovery from a hopeless, three-fold disease as if a run-down house were being remodeled. The key is to return to the house's bones and find the beauty of the original build. After putting herself and her family through years of hell, Hope Andersen found the faith to put her life back together.

In the epilogue to How to Remodel a Life (PipeVine Press), Andersen expresses a vibrant sense of hope when she writes, Whatever your path, remember: you are never too young to start the journey; you are never too old to ask for help; it is never too late to start remodeling your life.

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her early forties, Andersens life went off the rails. The chaos of the diagnosis sent her into a tailspin, and she began drinking hard and popping pills. Despite being in a loving marriage with grown children, she jumped into a maelstrom of sexual promiscuity and abusive relationships. Looking for anything to quiet the fear rising within, she came to the brink of suicide.

What brought Hope Andersen back from the brink? Strangely enough, it was her husbands brush with death that opened her eyes. Despite being given little chance to survive when he was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer, he received a new liver that came to them like a medical miracle. She was so grateful not to lose her beloved.

Realizing what she almost threw away and what she could still lose, she chose to ask for forgiveness and remodel her life in a loving fashion. Embracing recovery and sobriety, she realized that she needed to rebuild her life. Stripping everything down to the bare bones, she had to look at herself honestly. It was time to take the reins of moving forward away from fear and rely on hope and faith.

As Andersen writes in her new guide to recovery, When you remodel a home, you must reach the point where the old structure simply does not fit your needs anymore. In rehabbing a life, the same is true. The first step to changing your life is recognizing that your old way of being is seriously flawed, non-functioning; you need help from someone, somewhere to create this new version of yourself.

Although recovery memoirs have become a dime a dozen in the 21st century, Andersens book stands out for two essential reasons. First, it speaks to older people in recovery that are finding a new path after middle age in the second half of their lives. There are not enough resources out there for these people as they embrace the path of recovery that often comes with more responsibilities and more complex avenues of shame. Hope Andersens volume is valuable because it is such a resource.

Second, rather than being focused on just substance use disorder, including alcoholism, or just mental illness like bipolar disorder, How to Remodel a Life is a perfect example of the newfound memoir thats entrenched in co-occurring disorders. Once referred to as dual diagnosis, co-occurring disorders are as common as apple pie in the church basements of 12-step programs and rehabs across the country. Smoothly moving back and forth between her dual challenges, Andersen shows that recovery from both is possible at the same time. Its a crucial message that is needed.

And Hope Andersens challenges are only just beginning. After publishing this latest book, she found out that she has third-stage kidney disease. Most likely, her doctors believe it was caused by the lithium she takes daily to manage her bipolar disorder. She realizes the only outcomes for her moving forward are dialysis, a transplant, or death. Suddenly, she has to apply the lessons she offers in her book to her health crisis.

When the Coronavirus hit, she came to realize that her challenge was a reflection of the challenge being faced by the world. In the end, we all come together and remodel the microcosm of our individual lives and the macrocosm of the greater world, or we are doomed to perish sick and alone. Bravely, she moves forward, a spiritual warrior queen fighting for her life, family, and community. We wish her success and good health.

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New Memoir Explores How Recovery Is Like Remodeling a House - TheFix.com

WILMINGTON In 2009, popular cooking show host Rachael Ray brought her show and an HGTV remodel team to Wilmington and transformed the kitchen at Sugartree Ministries.

Now, 11 years later, the ministry is sending heartfelt thanks to the cooking show host after learning that Rays home was devastated by fire earlier this month.

The Associated Press reported that Ray and her husband and two dogs were safe after a fire engulfed her home. Flames could be seen shooting from the ceiling in photos of the blaze.

I was so sad when I heard the news. I couldnt believe it, said Al Willoughby, who was the ministrys director when Ray came to Wilmington. She is a wonderful person and she showed so much love and care for our community.

Willoughby recalled how in 2009, hed received a surprise phone call from Rays crew, telling him they would be at Sugartree the next morning.

I went in the next morning and camera crews followed me into our building. Then around 10 or 11 a.m., I had a live call with Rachel, and thats when she told me she wanted to remodel our kitchen so we could more easily take care of people and receive people, Willoughby said. I was totally surprised. It was really pretty cool.

For a few weeks, an HGTV team commissioned by Ray worked with Lowes to remodel the kitchen.

When they talked to us about our needs, they asked how many people we were serving and how they could set it up just for our needs, Willoughby said. The whole crew was just phenomenal. It was very encouraging.

Eleven years later, the ministry has used the kitchen to serve thousands of hot meals to those in need in the community. Since then, the ministry has expanded to include a food pantry, mens emergency shelter, 12-step program, blanket closet, coffee shop, warming and cooling shelter, grocery delivery program, community garden, counseling, and emergency services such as hotel rooms for domestic violence survivors and payment of bills for struggling families.

Current director Lee Sandlin said he was immediately saddened to see the news of Rays house fire.

It caused me to reflect on how much she did for our community and I started to think about her impact on Sugartree. In our greatest time of desperation, to have someone with that much influence take notice of us and choose us, it was so impactful, Sandlin said. Coming in and seeing that new kitchen, it was just beautiful.

After learning of the house fire, the staff at Sugartree commemorated Rays visit to Wilmington this week with a framed photo from her visit to hang in the kitchen. Each of the staff members were sending well wishes in a card for the cooking show host as well.

We love her and well never forget what she did for our community, Willoughby said. Eleven years later, its still quite a facility she set up for us.

Even more than a decade after the remodel, the kitchen is still beautiful, Sandlin said.

This building is so much more than just a structure. Its so many of the people who have given their love and their time to make it what it is today, he said. Were still caring for and helping others and fighting for them because of people like Rachael Ray who created a beautiful place for us to serve out of.

Sugartree Ministries Director Lee Sandlin speaks to staff members and volunteers about Rachael Rays visit.

Lee Sandlin shows a commemorative news story to staff before hanging it in the kitchen.

Learned of TV hosts recent house fire

Originally posted here:
Sugartree reflects on Rachael Ray remodel; ministry commemorates visit after learning of TV host's house fire - Wilmington News Journal, OH

Social distancing matters. Here is how to do it and how it can help curb the COVID-19 pandemic. USA TODAY

Light poured through the empty windows and lit up the exposed wooden beams inside. The home on the lakefront property in Fort Gratiot was being remodeled. Almost the entire thing had been gutted and was being prepped for new drywall. Among the new amenities will be a shower with hookups for body jets on the walls in the master bathroom.

The project is just one of many that home remodeling businesses like LaDuke Construction are working on since restrictions related to the coronaviruspandemic were lifted earlier in May.

COVID-19 and the associated stay-at-home order had paused all services deemed non-essential, putting a stop to construction projects big and small across Michigan. Now, the projects are back on.

Kirk Harms, a field supervisor for LaDuke Construction, walks through a home in the process of being renovated Monday, May 18, 2020, in Fort Gratiot. The coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdown paused all services deemend non-essential, which put a pause on construction projects across the state.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

The original stay-at-home order prohibited construction work except for those related to the safety, sanitation and basic operations of a home. This left remodelers with some work to do, but there's not that many emergency calls out there, Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan CEO Michael Stoskopf said.

"Most of their activity had to come to a standstill," he said.

During this time, remodelers were able to do some back-end work like ordering materials,speaking with clients, and developing safety plans. But since restrictions relaxed on May 7, contractors have had plenty to do.

"You've got clients who've been living in the house with maybe a partially remodeled bathroom or kitchen," Stoskopf said. "You know they're eager to get that project done."

Stoskopf expects remodeling businesses will operate under some kind of directive from the state until the pandemic is declared over, whether that comes through executive orders,laws passed through the Legislatureor revised OSHA regulations. Jobs will likely take a bit longer due to social distancing requirements, which Stoskopf said is likely the most lasting impact.

More: County extends due diligence period for developer hoping to buy former Art Van building

"Where you might be able to put a painter and a trim carpenter and a tile guy all in the same house at the same time on a remodeling project, you can't do that anymore at least not under these social distancing requirements that are in effect currently," he said.

Prices should stay relatively the same, however.

"While the amount of money spent in projects may be the same as it would without this occurring, it's going to take longer for that money to be spent," he said.

"A lot of things we had ordered pre-lockdown had been put off, and we're just starting to hear back from our supply chains now to get material," he said.

With restrictions being eased, the business is seeing a slight influx of exterior work such as deck work or painting.

LaDuke Construction owner Craig LaDuke said the business has many projects in the works, and is also waiting for suppliers to gear up for some other projects.One open project had to waiton a truss manufacturer to start back up. Others are unaffected.

"We have to be careful if we're going to start a new project that we're able to obtain the materials and supplies needed in a reasonable time frame," he said.

LaDuke said he hasn't seen an increase in demand for any particular kinds of renovation jobs, mostly a normal slate of kitchen, bathroom and other improvements. Overall, LaDuke said, the restart has been going pretty well.

"We've got a lot of work, which is great," he said.

While the regulations surrounding the pandemic change over time and could potentially tighten again, LaDuke said he plans to move forward and not worry about the "what if."

"I'm looking at what we can do now, hoping that everything's going to move forward," he said.

HBA of Southeastern Michigan maintains a COVID-19 resources page atbuilders.org/covid-19-resources.

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Contact Jeremy Ervinat (810) 989-6273 or jervin@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ErvinJeremy.

Read or Share this story: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2020/05/28/port-huron-home-remodeling-rebounds-coronavirus-lockdown/5190384002/

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Home remodelers find there is plenty of work now that pandemic restrictions have been eased - The Times Herald

Contractors are less busy and material costs are lower

If youve done the hard number-crunching and are confident you can afford to stay put in retirement, your home likely needs a few tweaks to make it safer for an older you.

If your household finances are not under stress due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis, now can be a smart time to start tackling age-in-place renovation projects.

A slowdown in the remodeling boom means contractors and architects are likely more motivated to return phone calls. For the past few years, spending on remodeling grew at nearly triple the rate of inflation. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard recently issued a downside update to its remodeling forecast that projects spending growth will turn negative into early next year due to the economic impact of the coronavirus.

A slowdown in business should make contractors more willing to negotiate price, and timing may be more flexible, as their backlog and waitlist on projects may have already shrunk.

Material costs are also lower. The National Association of Home Builders reported a record 4.1% decline in material costs in April. The -5.4% year-to-date decline eclipses the previous record slide of -1.3% in 2009.

Appliance costs should also decline amid reduced consumer demand.

And though some banks are making it harder if not impossible to qualify for a home equity line or loan, there are still lenders out there (hint: Check out credit unions) willing to make deals with qualified borrowers. If you have $400,000 in equity and are looking to borrow 10% or so of that to polish off an age-in-place project, you could get a more receptive greeting than if you have $100,000 in equity and want to borrow more than half of that.

Heres how to create a sensible age-in-place renovation game plan:

Focus on needs, not aspirations. Sure, aesthetics matter, but so too does cost. Reworking the bathroom so there is a level-in shower that wont require an older you to climb over a bathtub rim is a valuable age-in-place project. But its on you to decide if youre going to spend $20,000 for the bathroom you need or $40,000 for the HGTV-ready bathroom you want.

And keep reminding yourself that every dollar you spend will never be fully recouped by you, or your heirs. A quick web search of remodeling cost v. value will land you at sites that show the typical payback can range from 65% to 75% for many projects, such as a kitchen or bathroom remodel.

Polish off the low-hanging fruit first. Age-in-place renovations fall into two camps: smaller less expensive projects, such as installing grab bars in bathrooms and replacing trip-tastic rugs with carpet, to big-time construction, such as a new full bathroom on the first floor.

What you always want to avoid, especially right now, is stretching your renovation budget. If you have any queasiness about household income as we work our way through the coronavirus crisis, focus on affordable projects first.

Get three line-item bids The standard advice to get at least three bids is especially useful now. Quality and reputation remain paramount especially for big projects but having multiple bids gives you valuable intel to negotiate the best rate with the best contractor for your project.

There is never a good reason to accept a bid that does not carefully line-item every expense, but right now, with demand expected to be weaker, contractors should be more than eager to provide this breakdown to you.

Drill down on materials. Carefully reviewing the bid is essential before you hire anybody. Is the estimate based on using the materials and appliances you want? A low bid can be based on using cheap materials that you dont want. Conversely, you may find that your contractor has assumed a higher quality material than you deem necessary. Make sure you are comparing apples-to-apples bids that use the same materials and assume the same quality of appliances and mechanicals. For instance, does the bid include the cost of the most energy efficient new HVAC system which might cost more upfront or is it based on a more middle-of-the-road model?

Discuss subs. If you ask, you can often learn there are a variety of qualified subcontractors your contractor can use. Again, work quality is important, but there can be a wide range of rates among providers for certain projects.

And if your contractor suggests sticking with a certain sub, dont be shy asking if there is any give in the cost. In a slower market a smaller profit margin is better than having no work. But youre not going to get a break unless you ask.

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Planning to Age in Place? A Recession Can Be a Good Time to Remodel - Guaranteed Rate