Homeowners are
upgrading their
current abodes and
staying in place.

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

T

he buyers' market in Detroit area
real estate has resulted in extra
business for construction and
home remodeling companies. Many hom-
eowners are just "staying put" and fixing
up their homes.
"I haven't seen this much home remod-
eling work in all the years we're been in
business:' said Terry Grosslight, owner
of Kay-Bee Construction of Southfield,
which has been remodeling and renovat-
ing since 1936, with Grosslight at the
helm since 1962.
"Business is definitely up — about 10
percent over last year — because of the
buyers' market. Also, many people like
where they are living, and just want to stay
put and remodel."
Birmingham homeowner Carol
Schwartz believes that "once you've lived

Sharon Sefton of
Beverly Hills and
her husband, Allan,
remodeled the kitchen
and three bathrooms,
"and did some little
things" in their home
of 35 years.
At right is Sharon's
mother, Ruth Wayne.

4

HOME IMPROVEMENT • AUGUST 31 • 2006

in Birmingham, you can't move anyplace
else so she has been remodeling her
house over the past 20 years based on the
growth of her family. When her two chil-
dren moved out, she converted the house
from three bedrooms to two. With the
arrival of a grandchild, she recently con-
verted back to three bedrooms.
"I also gutted the kitchen and added
10 feet there, plus another bathroom, a
new garage and new landscaping:' said
Schwartz, a psychologist with a practice
in Franklin.
"I looked for an entirely new home, but
I love Birmingham and it really wouldn't
pay to move. Going to any other city would
mean higher taxes and more expenses.

The extra space now allows me to make
dinners for the Jewish holidays."
Bob Stern Building Co. of West
Bloomfield, in business for 41 years and
now operated by Stern and his son, Ron,
did the $200,000 Schwartz home project
over nine months. "Business has been
steady, but the automotive company lay-
offs and the frightening world conditions
sure don't help," Bob Stern said. "Many
people would like to do more remodel-
ing, but they're just cutting back. And
our cost of supplies has really gone up.
The price of shingles has increased three
times in the past year alone."
Barbara Wauldron of Wauldron Design
Associates in Beverly Hills, a designer for