While the US economy shrank by 3.5 percent in 2020, spending on home improvements and repairs grew more than 3 percent, to nearly $420 billion, as people modified living spaces for work, school, and leisure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while many professional remodeling projects came to a halt, DIY renovations surged. The sudden flexibility of remote work also increased demand for larger homes in lower-cost areas of the country....