Habitat ReStore has an award-winning 2020.
Story by Tracy Dickinson
Photography by Ben Lochard
Featured in May/June 2021
Like so many other things, the term “staycation” was redefined in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. For families working, schooling, and then vacationing in their own homes, those four walls started to close in well before summer was over.
In anticipation of possibly similar restrictions this summer, many homeowners are taking a long, hard look out that back window and making plans to change their view.
At Archadeck, Harold Cross says the demand for outdoor projects skyrocketed last year. “COVID changed everybody’s lifestyles,” he says. “The increased business wasn’t really a marketing thing. It was a COVID thing.”
Ted Lare Design Build’s Keegan Lare agrees. “Our new-project call volume is definitely up. We’re not necessarily seeing bigger projects, but definitely more projects.”
“People have been stuck at home with limited vacation options,” says Rob Walker of BLC Projects. “A lot of them are opting to use their vacation money on projects they’d put off at home. Making their own backyard more usable is often high on that list.”
Whatever the project’s motivation, area professionals say the same questions apply when they meet with a potential client.
“The value in any project isn’t just in the resale value; it’s in how it helps the homeowners enjoy their home more and use their space better,” says Cross.
Because of that, homeowners aren’t looking for a basic deck anymore. They want to create an outdoor living environment that they can enjoy long after the current restrictions are past. “The conventional deck definitely is not the norm anymore,” says Devan Kaufman of Kaufman Construction and KC Handyman. “People want to customize their outdoor spaces to fit their lifestyles, which leads to many, many options.”
Upgraded materials
Composite products have improved significantly in the past 10 years, offering virtually maintenance-free durability with the beauty of a natural wood look. Walker says, “The vast majority of our clients are converting decks, either replacing a treated wood product with composite or upgrading from a first-generation composite to the improved options available today.”
And powder-coated aluminum accessories for hardware and railings open up design options while remaining low-maintenance. Kaufman says, “Railings have just as many options as decks: natural wood, cable, man-made, glass, aluminum. And to make it even more fun, many of these products can be mixed and matched to create a unique look for each project.”
“Most of the products we’re installing now are 90% maintenance-free,” says Kimberley Construction’s Troy Sydow. “Homeowners want to spend their time enjoying the deck, not taking care of it.”
For sites better suited to a patio than a deck, the selection is even greater. “We can get natural stone from different parts of the country to get a different color and look,” Lare says. “There are also man-made pavers that have the look of natural stone but require little to no maintenance.”
Upgraded designs
Another way to reduce the maintenance needs is to cover the deck or patio and protect it somewhat from the elements. Sydow says, “Covered decks were by far the most popular outdoor project for us in 2020, and we anticipate the same being true in 2021.”
The options are almost limitless when it comes to upgrading the deck’s design. “Homeowners can have a fully covered porch or a partially covered porch and open deck,” Kaufman says. “They can choose screened-in or open-air, walls or solid railings for privacy, or open railings for a less obstructed view.”
Although outdoor pergolas are attractive, they are a less popular feature for several reasons. “They really don’t provide much protection, except from some of the harshest sun if you have the right plants,” says Walker. “And they’re a maintenance nightmare. A full roof is much more useful and cost-effective.”
Creating a variety of distinct spaces within the plan provides multifunction as well as a transition from home to yard and from one activity to another—cooking, dining, entertaining, and more. Features like walls and windbreaks and even three-season designs can make these sites more comfortable and more usable throughout the year. “Even though these projects are outdoors,” says Cross, “privacy can still be a factor if the home is close to the neighboring houses or if the deck is up off the ground where it overlooks neighboring yards.”
Upgraded amenities
The crazy pace of the construction business and the pandemic in 2020 affected numerous related businesses, from manufacturing to landscaping. One of those was Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
The Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity ReStore was number two in the country in 2020, and the Urbandale location was named Business of the Year for the metro suburb.
“We’re only able to do what we do because of the support of the entire community,” says ReStore Director Dana Folkerts, who celebrated his 15th year with the company in 2020. “The donations we receive, the customers who shop here, all the businesses who think of us instead of throwing things out—those are the things that make us successful.”
Folkerts joined the staff in 2005, shortly after the first Des Moines ReStore opened. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in business, he had worked in Kentucky for a while before returning to Iowa. “I’d been working for an organization that led ministry work projects rebuilding and rehabbing houses,” he says. “When we decided we wanted to move back home, I looked into Habitat because of my previous experience.”
In his time leading the organization, the original ReStore relocated to its current location on East Euclid, and a second store opened in Urbandale.
Jon Plummer, Urbandale ReStore Manager, followed a similar path. “I’d been living in Seattle while I was getting my master’s in theology,” he says. “We wanted to move back to Iowa, and I was looking for a way to put my theology to work on the ground.” Joining the team at Habitat for Humanity gave him the opportunity to combine his work experience and his beliefs about loving his neighbor into action.
During 2020 Folkerts and Plummer successfully led the ReStore through unique challenges to one of the organization’s best years ever. Folkerts says, “We had to close for April and May while we waited to see the best way to move forward. One of the things we put into place was an online store with curbside pickup.” Keeping the website up-to-date with the store’s rapid product turnover is a challenge. He says the response to the online option has been very positive and that the organization is looking at ways to expand and fine-tune the service.
“The online store has been especially busy, even now, when people can’t get out as much,” Plummer says. “But we see that still being a popular option as things continue to open up just because it’s so convenient.”
Despite closing for two months, ReStore’s efforts to adapt to the changing situation were successful. The combined sales of Des Moines’ two locations were the second highest of any ReStore in the country. The only metropolitan area that achieved higher net return to its Habitat affiliates was Los Angeles.
“Everything we do is to support our Habitat affiliates in Polk, Dallas, and Jasper counties,” Folkerts says. “We’re proud of what we were able to do this past year, and we want to continue to grow our reach and expand what we offer to our customers.”
That attitude is part of what garnered ReStore 2020 Urbandale Business of the Year from the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce. According to the Chamber website, “Businesses are evaluated in three areas: how they have given back to the Urbandale community, the number of organizations or causes the organization supports, and how the business’s physical presence impacts the Urbandale community.”
Following an application process, results were announced during a virtual event recently. “Normally there’s a dinner and winners are announced that way,” Folkerts says. “But it was virtual this year. So we had all the employees here at the store watching the presentation together, and everyone cheered when they announced we’d won.”
For Folkerts and Plummer and the rest of the Habitat ReStore team, the national sales record and the Urbandale Business of the Year award are just more motivation to continue doing what they already do. “We want to fund even more Habitat homes this year,” Folkerts says. “Every donation we get, every item we sell helps a local family finally get a home of their own. We want to raise enough to fund 16 homes this year. That’s our goal.”
The ReStore is doing more than funding building projects. The two locations are providing an opportunity for the greater Des Moines community to do what Folkerts and Plummer do every day—love their neighbor by building a better community for everyone. •