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Boom From Page 1 stuck in during the pandemic. He said that people are looking for ways to make their work-from-home jobs more enjoy- able, so his company has been renovating office spaces, building up kitchens and adding cabinets wherever possible. He said that his company is putting a lot of focus on these areas when building new homes, too. The homes that Prusow's com- pany builds are generally larger, with big kitchens and comfortable offices. Dave Roembke, who works at Victory Homes/Allan Builders, said this is the same thing his company has been doing as well, because people are starting to under- stand the importance of having a comfort- able home, complete with a nice outdoor living space or a luxurious bedroom, after being stuck in their homes for more than a year. "People recognized that being home is something they didn't have before," Roem- bke said. However, filling the demand for these new spaces hasn't been without its chal- lenges. Both Roembke and Prusow said that that their companies, like many other workplaces, have been struggling because of pandemic-era problems. Material, labor shortages The two builders said that the hardest part of working in the home construction industry during the current market has been sourcing materials. Prusow said that, although the lumber shortage has finally started to subside, it's still hard to find everything from HVAC units to kitchen sinks. "Things are hard to get right now," Pru- sow said. He said that the lead times to acquire appliances for remodeling projects and new homes alike has increased substan- tially, with certain products now taking months to get even though they were tra- ditionally available within weeks. He also noted that his company is committed to keeping its prices low, even when it means taking a hit on its margins. The labor shortage, too, has had an effect on the industry. Although both Victory Homes/Allan Builders and Espire homes have been for- tunate to work with an established set of contractors to ensure all their projects are completed on time, both Prusow and Roembke said that contracting companies in general have had a hard time finding skilled workers from an increasingly small pool of talented tradesmen. "Labor shortage is always a concern," Roembke said. Both Prusow and Roembke said that anyone who wants to remodel an existing home or build a new one should be pre- pared to wait, then. Roembke recommended that anyone who wants to start a home construction project should make their selections about appliances and materials as soon as possible and that it's important to work with an established builder or renovator who has the skillset required to complete a project. "Buyers need to be aware of who they're dealing with," Roembke said. Anyone who wants to see how they can make their stay-at-home experience bet- ter, too, can stop by the Metropolitan Builders Association's 2021 Parade of Homes. The event, which has become the biggest parade of homes in the country and has been going on for 75 years, gives people the chance to tour neighborhoods filled with houses that feature the latest in home design from local homebuilders like Victory Builders/Allan homes and Espire Homes. This year's fair will showcase homes in Hillside Ridge in the Town of Lisbon and Swan View Farms in Pewaukee. At the fair, Victory Builders/Allan homes and Espire Homes will both be showcasing homes created with the latest technology designed to make people's lives more enjoyable, and there will be a plethora of other homes available to tour that were created by builders associated with the Metropolitan Builders Associa- tion. The fair will run from Aug. 14 until Sept. 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and Labor Day. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for seniors or children. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.mba online.org/parade-of-homes-2021.html. HOME AUGUST 2021 2 Distributed by: ©2021 by Conley Media Waukesha County Home is published monthly by Conley Media - Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. A publication of Conley Media Sales Director: Jim Baumgart 262/513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Editor: Dan Muckelbauer 262/513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262/513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com Home Volume 10 ■ Number 5 ■ August 2021 Photo courtesy of MBA Kitchens remain a big draw along with offices in new homes such as this one by Perthel Homes based in Menomonee Falls.

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