One of the very common questions I get these days from our customers is, “How does your home renovation crew work during a pandemic?” Probably 90% of people who call us from our website inquiring about a bathroom, kitchen, or basement renovation in Ottawa, ask this question.
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted everyone in Ottawa as well as every home around the world. From stay-at-home orders to limited capacity, many measures were put in place by the government as well as each individual company to protect its clients and workers. We are no exception to that.
From simply following the Ottawa public health agency rules to specific instructions and clauses in our estimates and contracts, we have adjusted to the new reality of living and working in this pandemic.
If you are renovating your Ottawa home during COVID-19, rest assured that there are ways to do it safely and efficiently. So, here are some basic steps we at Miracle Dream Homes take to ensure we do our part in solving this problem as well as serving the needs of our clients, in Ottawa, Ontario.
How Does Miracle Dream Homes Perform Renovations in a Pandemic?
For starters, we follow every basic measure suggested by the Public Health Agency of Canada. We adhere to the “Core 4”, i.e.,
- Social distancing,
- Wearing face masks,
- Washing and sanitizing hands,
- And disinfecting all surfaces that are touched.
When COVID-19 started, we adopted these safe practices and have been working under them ever since.
Virtual Quote for Home Renovations During COVID-19 in Ottawa
One of the best examples of this is our system of providing a virtual quote to clients. Instead of coming to your home and increasing the risk of potential exposure, we now have virtual meetings where we are able to accurately assess the space in your bathroom or kitchen. We evaluate the scope of work and provide you with a quote without stepping foot into your home. Surprisingly, it is very accurate as most projects such as bathroom renovations in Ottawa, are for the most part, very similar in nature. Not every quote can be done this way, but we have been able to reduce a large number of home visits and thereby, also the potential for any spread of COVID-19.
Home Visit Before Commencing a Home Remodeling Project in Ottawa
Following the virtual quote and when the client wants to proceed with their Ottawa bathroom renovation project, we do make a home visit. During the visit, our associate asks homeowners to keep the distance and wears a mask as well as sanitizes any surfaces that are touched while she is taking measurements and preparing a final estimate. The signing of this final estimate/contract is also now done electronically. All these small but significant steps go a long way in ensuring safety and well-being of both our clients and our team.
Close Collaboration within Your Home Renovation Team
Another measure that we have implemented is that every morning before the start of the day, we have a company call, where every worker must report to our office with either negative or positive COVID symptoms. If no symptoms are present, we proceed with the day’s work, but if we suspect any possible symptoms, we will not send our workers to our customers’ home. With every job, we ask our customers to do the same; if they suspect any symptoms or are in contact with anyone who shows symptoms, the project will be put on hold until it is safe to proceed.
I have to say that we were lucky not to have any one of our crew members test positive so far.
Stringent Safety Procedures
We have added stipulations into our estimates and contracts outlining the proper procedures of how the work for renovating your home during COVID-19 will he handled. So far, we have received very positive feedback from our customers. The fact that we have not had any cases amongst our crews or staff are proof that by working together and following guidelines, we can not only help our customers with their home renovation needs but also be part of the solution in stopping the spread of this virus.
It has not been an easy process and the COVID-19 pandemic definitely has impacted how we do business. We have seen shortages in materials and delays in deliveries of products. The prices for some of the common materials have fluctuated significantly over the last year.
I am however optimistic that by working together with our suppliers, crews, and our customers, we can still get extremely good results, maintain reasonable prices and timelines, and above all, keep people safe and continue to work going forward.
Give us a call to learn more about how we can safely and efficiently renovate your Ottawa home during COVID-19. Or you can use our online contact form to get in touch.