When the stay-at-home orders were put into place, one question in many households: what are we going to do while stuck at home?
For some, being constantly at home made them notice all the things around their house that could use a change. And what better time to implement these changes than during a quarantine?
Some members of the INB staff have been using their time in quarantine to finally tackle home renovation projects…
Read other stories about our employees and their families as we work through the pandemic together:
Andi Whalen, branch manager for Bloomington and Champaign, was able to save money because of reduced expenses, so she took on two big projects during quarantine.
At the beginning of the summer, Andi bought a camper that needed extensive remodeling. The camper had water damage and needed to be repainted and walls put up.
Then at home, Andi decided to turn her basement half bath into a full bathroom.
With a shower put in, new flooring, and the dry wall almost finished, Andi says “I won’t recognize it when it’s done… hopefully!”
A New Place to Hang Around
Just before the quarantine hit, Evan Westlake’s family had finished remodeling the master bathroom. With so much time at home in the spring, it was nice to have the new bathroom done and ready to use.
With two kids ages 8 and 10 at home, Evan, SVP, commercial lending, and his family then decided it was time to finish a room in the basement.
Spending extra time at home made Evan and his wife realize having a place for the kids to escape to for movies and video games would be great. After a month and a half of work being done, their new “tween” hangout room is complete.
“With continual restrictions at some of our favorite places - like libraries, museums and restaurants - we’re really excited to have additional space for our whole family to enjoy,” Evan shares.
The Perfect Time To Start
For six years, Lindsay and Nathan Van Zele have been wanting to remodel part of their basement, and this season of quarantine seemed like the ideal time to begin, using money saved from reduced childcare expenses.
The Van Zeles wanted to create a playroom for their daughters and more living space. After many trips to the hardware store and compiling Pinterest boards, they had a plan in mind.
“Nate is super handy and knows how do about anything. We did all the work ourselves,” says Lindsay, communications officer for INB.
Their youngest daughter, Olivia, became a big help, too. She’s learning a lot about tools and has been willing to lend a hand when needed.
The drywall is almost finished hanging, and next comes paint color and carpet shopping!