BRISTOL, Va. – John Bradley and his wife Angela have raised three kids in a home they bought 10 years ago. Now, with just one still living there, they’re ready to do some major renovations.
"It’s time to update and refresh," Angela Bradley said.
The Watauga, Tenn., couple was among hundreds on Saturday who attended the 42nd Home Builders Home Show at the Holiday Inn on Linden Drive, where vendors set up samples and demonstrations to promote the latest innovations in building technologies.
Like many at the show, the Bradleys came in search of ideas.
"We’re specifically looking at windows and roofing," John Bradley said.
The event attracted homeowners, contractors and basically anyone whose business is in development, said Brenda Sauls, the executive officer and event coordinator
"A lot of people come with no intention to do anything, but they leave with new ideas," she said.
Throngs of people meandered throughout the venue, and Sauls attributed the good turnout to snow and gusting winds outside.
"The weather has made it better because people can’t be outdoors doing things," she said.
Sauls said she also thinks the turnout reflected her belief that Bristol has not suffered as much as the rest of the country from economic hard times that has swept the industry nationwide.
According to a report released last week by the U.S. Commerce Department, new home sales are at a 13-year low nationwide, and construction spending in January hit a 14-year low. The crisis, as experts refer to it, has caused industry spending to plunge.
Sauls’ husband, Ken, is a sales representative for General Shale Brick, and has been a vendor at the annual home show for more than 20 years, he said.
"We’ve been very fortunate in this area because we’ve never really been affected by the lows. At the same time, we’ve never experienced a real high, either," he said.
Ken Sauls said he thinks the relative stability of the area’s construction industry is because no large-scale developers are building 50 or 60 houses in one housing development.
"We have a lot of people who build eight to 10 houses," he said, adding that smaller-scale developers aren’t hit as badly as larger businesses when the economy takes downturns.
David Kupfer, of Bristol Virginia, agreed with Sauls’ assessment.
"I think the Bristol housing market right now is not experiencing the downward trend," he said.
Kupfer, an accountant by day, has done a number of home renovations in recent years and came to the show for ideas on other projects he may want to take on.
"We like where we live. You get used to somewhere, and you don’t mind spending the money keeping it up," he said.
However, Kupfer said Bristol’s growth in recent years may make it more susceptible to development trends in the future.
"For a long time, I thought [Bristol] was the best-kept secret," he said. "But now, with the Exit 7 development, we’re becoming more like a city. And I don’t like it."
ahunter@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531
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