Let the Gaming Begin! – Home Media Rooms

The concept of a “media room,” as a space specifically devoted to home theater and audio systems, is relatively new. New home designers and builders found the idea so appealing to buyers that media rooms were quickly incorporated into the floor plans of new homes, all along the price spectrum. Such rooms are designed for

Learning the Language of Building: Part 2

We consider clear communications essential in achieving a successful homebuilding project. Construction industry jargon can cause confusion and muddy the waters, so here are a few additional terms to help bridge the language barrier: Punch list: There are literally thousands of details that go into the construction and finishing of every new home. Although we

Learning the Language of Building: Part 1

If you spend any time on a construction site, you’re likely to hear words that sound like a foreign language. Worse yet, you may hear words that you thought you knew but which clearly have some specialized meaning to the people around you. Don’t worry! You aren’t really on some other planet. Like any profession,

Avoid Costly Mistakes

How professional builders avoid some of the most common and costly construction mistakes. Most homeowners judge a home by the obvious: a floor plan that’s a joy to live in, a streetscape that wows passers-by, great natural lighting, and lots of storage. The list goes on. But some less obvious details have as great

Insuring Homeowner Satisfaction

The idea of a “punch list” may not sound very appealing at first, but it’s really an invaluable tool for making sure our homes meet the standards and expectations of our homebuyers. A punch list — industry slang for a short checklist of items that need to be completed, repaired, or replaced — is also

Have it Your Way!

No two homes are the same and every client is unique. Our mission is to build a home for each of our clients that fits each family’s wants and needs. We work alongside architects and decorators to carefully consider a client’s specific needs; the number of people in the household, the gender and age of

The High-Performance Home

Many of our buyers are less interested in “green” construction than they are in homes that offer health, comfort, and low ownership costs. “Green” construction hasn’t been as big a hit among homebuyers as some builders hoped it would be. It’s easy to see why. Green has been over-used as a marketing term, often supported

Cooking up the Latest Kitchen Trends

Kitchens have always been the center of a house. It’s where everyone congregates at a party, regardless of the host’s intentions. It’s where the mail, the keys and the family news are dropped on the way in. The kitchen is so important to most people that it is the feature most likely to make or

Homebuilding Myths: The Three-Bid Rule

As the housing industry becomes more sophisticated and conscientious about achieving genuine and lasting homebuyer satisfaction, the level of professionalism among builders continues to reach new heights. As a result, potential clients searching for a builder to create their dream home have a much deeper pool of talent from which to select. Today’s professional builder

Heating and Cooling System Care

A new home today is built to consume less energy than those of just a decade ago. Such a home is nearly airtight with controlled fresh-air ventilation for energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality. To heat and cool a home built for high performance, a professional builder can select top-quality heating and cooling equipment

The Homeowner’s Role in the Building Process

Homebuilding has changed significantly over the last hundred years, especially since the 1950s, when the housing industry boomed after World War II. Building a home in a classic, hands-on way is far from standard practice these days, as home construction has evolved from a trade or craft to a systematized process with many moving parts.

Building Green: Water Conservation

When we talk about “building green,” it is often assumed that we are talking about energy efficiency. Although energy efficiency is an essential element, building green is really about the thoughtful use of all natural resources, including water. There are several ways we can help our homeowners conserve water in their new homes, no matter

Green Building: Windows, Doors and Skylights

Energy efficiency plays a central role in building any new home. Building a “green” home, however, requires energy efficiency and much more. “Green building” means taking a comprehensive approach to energy and resource efficiencies from design through construction and operation of the house. Certain components of a home’s construction contribute greatly to the success of such an

Can I Hire My Own Painter?

Or buy my own carpet… Builders get these questions a lot. Here’s why a Yes answer is seldom in the homeowners’ best interest. It’s not unusual for new-home clients to ask their builder to use a trade contractor with whom the clients (but not the builder) have an established relationship, or to let them buy

After the Home is Built…

Whatever happened to customer service? Today, simple respect and responsiveness seems to be more the exception than the rule … especially after the sale. How a homebuilder manages after-sale service, also called warranty service or call-backs, is a key indicator of the company’s overall professionalism and ability to meet (and ideally exceed) a homebuyer’s expectations.

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