How to Fight Escalating Lumber Prices The essential skill of value engineering Lumber continues to be THE big issue in homebuilding. As we write this in May 2021, costs for framing lumber and plywood are three times what they were a year ago. That’s right—they’ve tripled. It’s insane. They might go even higher. An April
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Custom homebuyers have asked what we think about this popular flooring. Here’s our answer. We don’t often talk about products in our blog, but when lots of clients ask about a specific one, we like to offer our thoughts. That’s the case with luxury vinyl tile flooring or LVT. We’re not the only ones getting
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Avoid the most common mistakes when searching for ideas on the web We all love the internet. It’s a bottomless source of ideas and inspiration for any project, and most people wouldn’t think of starting a new custom home before spending some serious time online. The internet is also a valuable resource for builders: it’s
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COVID is causing changes in home designs and product choices Did you know that the half-bath became popular in the years following the 1918-1920 Spanish Flu pandemic? That’s because homeowners wanted to keep visitors’ germs out of the main bath. Did you also realize that Modern interior design first took hold in America during the
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Societal trends are making the home office a must-have for many homeowners. Careful planning is the key to getting a space where you can be truly productive. Remote work arrangements have been on the upswing for a long time. Research firm Global Workplace Analytics figured in 2019 that there were 4.3 million telecommuters in the
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These amenities will make the home more comfortable for all family members Anyone planning a new home might want to consider age demographics. For instance, recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau projects the over-65 population growing from 47 million in 2015 to 71 million by 2030, and most older people who answered a 2016
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Recent research shows what homeowners want in this crucial room. Although the design of a custom home is a personal statement, most people give at least some thought to market appeal. For this, the most important aspect is the kitchen. A great kitchen adds real value. A November 2016 article on Realtor.com reported that 69
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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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Building a new home is a dynamic and exciting process. As professional homebuilders, our goal is to make the process smooth and transparent for our clients. Once the job is underway, things happen quickly, so we work with clients to make decisions well ahead of time to help ensure they get their new home on
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How homeowners benefit from the established builder’s systems and relationships. The rebound of homebuilding from the great recession has attracted lots of new contractors to the business. This has given homeowners more choices, tempting some to choose a contractor based strictly on price. Bad idea. It’s nearly impossible to compare apples to apples when collecting
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It wasn’t that long ago that a window was a window … was a window. Basically, a hole in the wall fitted with a wood-framed pane of glass that allowed a view to the outside and provided a little bit of daylight into a house. Over the past 25 years, windows have changed dramatically. Not
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In the pursuit of excellence, we coach our homebuyers about the building process so that their expectations are high but realistic. We want our homebuyers to push and challenge us to always do better, but it is also our job to define excellence … and point out the difference between it and perfection.
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You just left an impressive presentation with a professional homebuilder, one among the few you’re considering for your new home project. In addition to a brochure about his business and highlights of his recent work and the communities in which he builds, he provided you with a list of recent homebuyers for you to call
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In the current housing economy, it’s tempting to buy a “short sale” or recently foreclosed home, especially one that was built during the recent housing boom and is being offered at a bargain-basement price. But that strategy is full of pitfalls and potholes. It’s well-documented that owners of homes in foreclosure tend to neglect their
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Investing in the design and construction of a new home is a daunting task, something most people do once or maybe twice in a lifetime. The last thing you need is a builder who doesn’t have it together. Why does that matter? Simply, homebuilding today is an increasingly complex endeavor, involving dozens of trade partners
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In Nashville, a hundred-year-old Boy Scout troop congregates before every camping trip to gather gear and prepare for sleeping under the stars. Of the most memorable moments in scouting, camping trips inevitably top the list. Although these camping adventures offer education in self-sufficiency and leadership, the long-term benefits reach beyond learning how to tie knots
Castle Homes came away a big winner in Nashville Lifestyles’ Home Awards announced this month. The collection of awards garnered by Castle Homes included Best New Kitchen, Best New Bathroom and Runner Up for both Best New Home and Best Builder. “The Nashville home market keeps getting hotter, and the competition for Nashville Lifestyles’ Home
The trick is to choose the technologies you need, while ignoring those you don’t For some people, a new custom home is a chance to get the latest digital bells and whistles. The problem is that home automation can feel like a daunting topic and the wrong choices can lead to frustration. Which technologies will
How to Fight Escalating Lumber Prices The essential skill of value engineering Lumber continues to be THE big issue in homebuilding. As we write this in May 2021, costs for framing lumber and plywood are three times what they were a year ago. That’s right—they’ve tripled. It’s insane. They might go even higher. An April
Your home builder needs to navigate a maze of government regulations—homeowners can help make the process easier A successful new-home build is a predictable one, with no unpleasant surprises. Predictability comes from good planning, as well-planned projects tend to stay on budget and on schedule. Good planning includes making sure the home will meet all