Clients deserve a straight answer, but getting it requires an honest conversation Tract builders and realtors often market homes in terms of square-foot costs, but that approach can be misleading for a custom home. Sam Rashkin, founder of the Energy Star for Homes program, expressed this idea forcefully at a recent industry conference. “If you
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Post-contract changes need not be a problem, but they absolutely need a well-thought-through process. Professionals who build fantastic homes for satisfied customers share some important traits. Two of these are an obsession with details and with clearly communicating those details to the homeowners. Great builders are great communicators, and part of being a great communicator
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For best results, narrow down the options up front Allowances–that is, budgeting general costs for items before the specific items are chosen–are a fact of life on many projects. Some homeowners have trouble making decisions before work begins, most commonly for appliances, cabinets, floor coverings, and plumbing and electrical fixtures. In those cases, the builder
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Identifying the best pro to build your new home starts by clarifying your wants and needs.
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It’s natural to have questions and changes when building a custom home. Prevent surprises and delays by getting answers from the top. There are lots of things homeowners can do to keep their building project running smoothly. Number one is making timely product choices, but another key action is to direct all change requests and
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A great finish doesn’t come cheap, but it can make or break the look of a custom home. Many homeowners expect plumbers and electricians to be expensive but are surprised at the prices charged by other subcontractors. The most obvious example of this is the professional painting company.
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Government red tape takes time, money and skill to navigate. That’s why you need a pro. Some people don’t realize how highly regulated the construction business has become. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the costs of complying with government regulations now account for nearly a quarter (24.3%) of new home prices—30% more than just five years ago.
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The work of building a price and schedule for your custom home is a project in itself. There’s a reason that quality project estimates don’t happen overnight. Every home is a collection of thousands of individual components that range from large-scale assemblies like walls and roofs to small items like doorknobs and faucets. The builder
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Should you tell us your real budget? If you want a successful project, the answer is yes. Here’s why: We occasionally meet homeowners who don’t want to reveal their true budget numbers. This lack of disclosure is not in their best interests and almost always sets the stage for disappointment.
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Home pricing is a complex subject. Here’s how we answer the most common question. A question we get from a lot of potential clients is “What’s the per-square-foot cost of your homes?” Some clients arrive armed with numbers gleaned from Internet articles. Others quote realtors who appraise and advertise houses by the square foot.
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A successfully managed budget is a partnership between the builder and the homeowners. Custom builders work hard to make sure their clients get the home they want at a price they can afford. Cost-control strategies include value-engineering the structure, writing clear product specifications, and managing the construction in the most efficient manner possible.
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Some big obstacles stand in the way of the three-bid advice. Folk wisdom, online articles, and basic instincts advise homeowners to solicit bids from several qualified contractors.
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Strict allowance policies benefit homeowners as much as builders. Why do builders prefer that the homeowners choose every single item that will go into the house before they break ground? It’s not just for the builder’s convenience. A choice postponed may end up being made at a time when the homeowners are feeling a lot
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It’s as much about the experience as the result. Some homeowners have asked: How does a builder know when a project has been a success? Well, there’s good news—the answer to this question is one of the things that defines a great builder. To a pro, every successful project crosses the finish line with three outcomes.
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Creating Functionality and Beauty in Your Outdoor Space A lot of homeowners are looking beyond the basic deck or patio to a complete outdoor experience. They’re designing and building homes with multi-level decks, patios connected to decks and pools, screened porches, arbors, and outdoor kitchens. According to a May 2019 article on Zillow.com, a growing
Tile has a transformative power and an ability to turn a dull room into something teeming with character. From simple, all-white subway tiles to traditional penny tiles, tiling options in any space are endless. Of course, bathrooms and kitchens are the most common destinations for a tile design. In a bathroom, tiles take simple square
Builders buy their materials from suppliers that offer benefits to them and the homebuyer. Some customers express curiosity about the places different suppliers occupy in the building supply chain. With that in mind, we thought it worth explaining why we buy our materials and products where we do. The basic choice is between the “big
Wireless lighting controls are likely in your future. Here’s why. Mention home lighting trends and what comes to mind is the growth of LEDs. But the incandescent bulb isn’t the only thing about to disappear—the wall switch may be going the same way. That’s because more homeowners are opting for “smart” lighting controls that replace conventional
Top Tier Interior Designers From Across the U.S. Including Barclay, Butera, Vern Yip, Among Others Will Contribute to the Concept House Debuting in October 2019