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By Dawson Thompson

Home Improvement Galore

Saskatchewan sees sharpest increase in home improvement sales across Canada

Jun 7, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The home and repair industry has been thriving this year across Canada, with more Canadians spending time at home during the pandemic.

New research done by financial services and technology company, Square, shows nowhere has the growth been bigger than in Saskatchewan.

Square reviewed three year’s worth of data through April 2021 to determine just how big the boom has been, and found that Saskatchewan has experienced a 116 per cent increase in transactions from April 2020 to April 2021.

The national average over the course of the pandemic saw a 64 per cent rise in transactions.

A spokesperson for Square, Felipe Chacon mentions Saskatchewan’s population as one of the factors for the major increase.

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“It is a slightly younger population than the rest of Canada, which could be a contributing factor to the boom,” Chacon said. “It’s a more affordable housing market as well, so there is probably more of a DIY attitude for projects and a willingness to spend on their home.”

Chacon added people living in Saskatchewan in more rural areas were doing more renovations, compared to other provinces.

“Saskatchewan is also more rural than other provinces, with a larger chunk living outside metropolitan areas,” Chacon said. “People in cities are usually renters at higher rates, and renters usually don’t want to invest money in the home they live in at the time because they probably won’t be there forever.”

Prince Albert has not fallen behind. Like the rest of the province, the city has seen a major increase in home improvement sales over the past year.

Manager of Econo Lumber, Cody Lemieux said they are busier than last year and have had to hire a few more staff to keep up with the demand.

Home improvements have not just been outdoors either. Econo lumber is seeing an increase in sales for indoor and outdoor home improvement.

“It’s interior and exterior. Decks, shingles, fences, windows, there is not just one to pinpoint to say hey, our sales increased in this area,” Lemieux said. “It increased across the board. People that are not spending money on holidays are putting that money back into their homes.”

Rona has also seen an increase in sales since last year.

“Within the past year there has been a tremendous amount of patio type product like brick, and pavers but also a tremendous demand in decking and fencing,” Rona’s manager Dan Whaley said. “A lot of people being at home and having some extra cash, they want to put that to use and sit and relax and enjoy their yard.”

The increase in demand for lumber over the past year has led to a low supply, resulting in prices going up. Prices for lumber are expected to go down by fall, Whaley added.

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Dawson.thompson@pattisonmedia.com

On twitter: @dawsonthompson8