Why Patience Is the New Home Decor Must-Have

Being in the home decor industry is tough right now. It’s almost impossible to set deadlines for when products will arrive, or when stages of the design process will be completed. Even budgets are a moving target because we get increases daily from our vendors and suppliers. So patience is definitely the #1 thing you need when you start a home project. So I thought I’d give you a little insight into why it’s that way today!

Supplies Are Low for Everything!

The supply chain is broken in almost every category you can think of. Furniture factories keep closing in the US and overseas as Covid cases rise, or someone in the plant tests positive. Materials needed for furniture are in very short supply because those plants and factories are also shuttered or have been for months. Gearing all of that back up to full capacity takes a lot of time and effort! Container ships are incredibly expensive now, with costs up as much as 300%. That means some companies can’t even afford to get their goods to the US. And once they do, there’s a severe shortage of truck drivers, meaning deliveries are slow or impossible to schedule. Furniture manufacturers want to get their goods to you as much as YOU want them! So patience is definitely called for. You wouldn’t believe how much effort my team and I put into finding goods for our clients. That alone is almost a full time job for many of us!

Contractors and Subs

Okay, so let’s say we finally have the cabinets or the tile or the flooring that you’ve been waiting for. Delays can still happen because the contractor, subcontractors, workrooms and my own team all have to follow Covid protocols. That’s to keep YOU safe and to keep all of us safe. So if anyone on any of those teams tests positive or starts feeling ill, we have to stop everything until we’re sure that people are healthy so we can be sure you and your family stay healthy. It’s also a VERY VERY tight job market right now. So many of our contractors and subs may not be at full capacity with enough team members. And let’s remember that everyone out there is trying to renovate their homes. There just aren’t enough skilled people to go around. We’re all doing our best, but it’s tough right now.

Rising Costs

Remember when I said that container costs were spiking dramatically? Lots of other costs are rising too, like the price of foam for chairs and mattresses. Most foam is petroleum based, so if gas prices go up, you can guarantee the price of foam will go up, too. With their own cost of doing business being squeezed, vendors have to pass those price hikes on to the final cost of goods. And they are sending us price hikes almost daily. Once you place your order, your price is locked in. But that means you’ll want to order as soon as possible so you don’t have an increase in pricing on something you really want.

My team and I handle all of this for our clients - they don’t have to worry about a thing. All they have to do is sit back and be patient. My best advice if you’re embarking on your own renovation project? Don’t tear out the kitchen until you’re SURE you have everything you need in hand to complete the project!

Warmly,

Beth