Regardless of a home’s size or style, all construction follows a consistent pattern and pace. Excavation and foundation work will be followed by the framing phase, which will be followed by rough mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. As soon as those stages are complete, insulation will be installed. These steps follow each other quickly and
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Everyone has a vision about a dream home. The dream may have a particular style, such as a Mediterranean or Colonial, or perhaps a certain room is the focus, such as an idealized kitchen or master suite. These visions are an important starting point in your search for a new house, helping to narrow your
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One of the most exciting and dynamic periods in the construction of a new home is the structural framing stage. It is the time when two-dimensional plans take on a three-dimensional shape. As floors, walls, and a roof rise from the ground, the owners can envision the finished home and walk through its spaces. As
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Healthy indoor air quality may be the most important aspect of building green. After all, what could be more important to your health than the air you breathe? Achieving healthy indoor air, however, depends on a comprehensive approach to high-performance building. There’s no way, for example, to make an indoor environment comfortable and healthy without
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A lot of people don’t understand the sheer complexity of the builder’s job and the systems required to build a house from scratch. Many analogies have been used to describe the professional builder: the conductor of an orchestra, the captain of a ship, even a general executing a military campaign. The point is that the
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Most of us have fond memories of family barbecues in the back yard or running through the sprinklers. Only the clairvoyant among us could have imagined the new ‘back yards’: the highly appointed outdoor spaces that are becoming increasingly popular in today’s new homes. Long gone are the days of the patio slab, rectangular swimming
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As life gets busier and stress levels increase, more and more people are turning to their homes as a place of refuge and escape. As a professional builder, we’ve seen an increasing interest in the transformation of the master bedroom into an “owners’ suite”; a true, in-home retreat area. This trend has evolved from a
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Every family is unique. We strive to create a distinctive home and living experience for each of our valued clients. Our sales and design staff consider the number of people in a household, the gender and age of each family member, and even particular preferences, interests, and special needs. A critical element in fulfilling that
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Today’s home offices have changed residential design forever. They are now a mainstream feature in nearly every type, size, and price of new home. Professional, market-sensitive builders know that families need a separate space to conduct business from home. The successful integration of work and living environments is critical to meeting individual family needs. At
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Modern housing may not have reached Jetson-level performance just yet, but a growing number of new homes today are prepared for ever-increasing amounts of automation and electronics — more than any existing or remodeled home can ever hope to be. These homes, built during the last five years, are equipped with advanced wiring and cabling networks
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Once you’ve settled into your new home, it becomes increasingly your responsibility to maintain it. As a professional builder, we have a period of time in which we respond to warranty service calls and address questions from our new homeowners. Eventually the baton is passed to our owners for the regular maintenance of their home
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In an increasing number of newly built upscale homes, full bedroom suites are replacing converted dens and musty basements as the standard accommodations for out-of-town friends, bounce-back children, and visiting in-laws. In the interest of providing short- and long-term guests with a greater measure of privacy and comfort, new-home clients are requesting guest suites when
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What ever 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
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Some homeowners are very interested in the homebuilding process, while others are more content to follow the lead of the builder and be available only when needed. Most clients fall somewhere in between. Regardless of their approach or comfort level with new home construction, clients play a vital role in its success. The ideal homeowner
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Builders hear this question a lot. The answer, as with most such questions, is “It depends.” But on what? People who haven’t built before often have an unrealistic concept of how long it can take to plan, budget, and build a home. Many variables can affect the timetable. Three that stand out are design, permitting,
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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
Understanding the variables that affect the schedule Many clients approach a builder with an idea about how long it should take to finish their new home. Some underestimate the time the project will require, while others expect it to take a lot longer. Every builder loves being able to deliver a quality home on budget
A lot of people don’t understand the sheer complexity of the builder’s job and the systems required to build a house from scratch. Many analogies have been used to describe the professional builder: the conductor of an orchestra, the captain of a ship, even a general executing a military campaign. The point is that the