Home remodeling projects across Southwest Florida are on the rise, spurred on by a thin supply of houses for sale and an overwhelming number of underwater mortgages that have made it difficult for some homeowners to move.The trend has put hundreds of subcontractors in Southwest Florida back to work, boosted revenue for home improvement retailers and lifted sluggish property values that in many cases have been long overdue.
“I have been slammed the last six months solid — all remodels,” said Matt McMurtrie, owner of Sarasota’s Decadent Design and Remodels. “People are getting great deals on homes right now, and the cheaper they get the houses, the more money they have to play with and fix them up.”