At Home Show, builders say interest is ahead of last year

Feb. 21, 2020

In a typical year, Rallis Construction might take on a dozen homebuilding projects.

Less than two months into 2020, there already are seven houses in the company’s pipeline for the season.

“It’s considerably busier than last year, and last year was a good year but a challenging one due to weather,” said co-owner Dusty Rallis, co-chair of this weekend’s Sioux Empire Home Show.

Much of the activity is concentrated on the east side and within the Brandon school district, he said.

Lot prices are up year-over-year, he added.

“It’s consistently gone up, and with the demand, they’re not going to go down anytime soon.”

Those who are building aren’t going small. Rallis’ new homes under construction start at 5,000 square feet.

“They’re definitely second homes or move-up homes,” he said.

And they’re increasingly trending toward contemporary design, he said.

“More straight lines, more metal, less color in the hard surfaces of the home, and they bring the color in with the soft surfaces, fabrics and throws.”

Those are some of the themes evident at this weekend’s Sioux Empire Home Show, which runs through Sunday at the Sioux Falls Arena and Convention Center. It’s put on by the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire.

It’s expected to draw up to 12,000 people and offers products and services from more than 230 home-related exhibits.

Some of the most eye-catching ones are the exhibits for outdoor-living spaces, which continue to be a sought-after element from homeowners, Rallis said.

“I would say we’ve seen an increase on the usable outdoor space designed into a home, whether it’s outdoor seating with a fireplace or more designer furniture instead of more disposable furniture,” he said.

Technology keeps evolving too, he added.

“We see more people interested in ‘smart home’ technology than in the past. It seems to grow every year. As the options broaden and the prices seem to come down, we see more people doing it.”

The Sioux Empire Home Show runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For details, click here. 

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