Page 20 - BusinessWest March 3, 2021

been able to save some money, while also becom- ing more acutely aware of repairs and renovations they may have been putting off. As a result, many contractors reported their most successful year of business in 2020.
As many of the pandemic restrictions con- tinue, people are not sure how long they will continue to work and attend school from home. It reminds Brian Rudd, owner of Vista Home Improvement, of the uncertainty that emerged during a different historic time.
“After 9/11, we saw people start to nest, and
“Right now, people are addressing the aesthetics of their houses because they are home more and able to address these things now.”
they began to see their home as their kingdom,” he said. “Since the pandemic, the desire to nest at home has happened to an even larger degree.”
And they’ve been increasingly looking outside the home, not just inside. After a record year in 2020, Rudd reported that even more custom-
ers want new siding and new windows. “Right now, people are addressing the aesthetics of their houses because they are home more and able to address these things now.”
It’s not unusual for customers to call Dave Gra- ziano, landscape project manager for Graziano Gardens, to replace old, overgrown plantings with new ones. Last year was different because, along
with replacing old plant- ings, customers wanted to make other improve- ments to their property.
“Whether it was add- ing a big patio or simply hanging flower baskets, people wanted to cre- ate more outdoor living space, no matter how large or small their yard might be,” he said.
Brian Campedelli, president of Pioneer Landscaping, said his business doubled in 2020 because people decided to invest in their homes rather than vacations. “The money they would have spent on vacation instead went into their backyards, where we helped them create an outdoor entertainment area.”
A worker with Pioneer Landscaping places patio stones.
Both Graziano and
Campedelli noted that
firepits have become one
of the most popular additions to the backyard.
“While we build a lot of circular firepits, people are getting creative and asking us for square or triangular pits to match the seating they have around it,” Campedelli said.
Once considered only for warmer climates, outdoor kitchens are also a growing part of his business, with many designs incorporating a
pizza oven.
“In the past, people would not build outdoor
kitchens because of the short season to use them, but I don’t hear that as much anymore,” he said. “I think people are just going for it.”
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