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CHECK OUT OUR HELPFUL ARTICLES
We strive to be a valued and ongoing resource for our clients and all those considering building a custom home. You’ll find our blogs to be educational, informational and extremely helpful to you as you consider building a custom home.
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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 by vague definitions and poorly defined customer benefits. But while many buyers are no longer moved by pleas to “go green,” they remain very interested in homes that use less energy and require less repair and maintenance.
The Role of the Builder
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 builder is the one who must coordinate the innumerable players and products needed to transform a set of two-dimensional drawings into a finished home. The builder has to make sure that everything happens just when it’s supposed to, and that the end result is exactly what the clients envisioned.
Size Matters: Choose Your Contractor Wisely
The low-bid, budget company may cost more in the long run. Here’s why.
Does your builder have the size and — more importantly — the management systems needed to handle a custom home project? If not, the final cost in dollars and frustration may be more than you bargained for.
There are innumerable ‘horror stories’ on the Internet about the downsides of hiring the lone contractor. In the extreme, you may read about solo builders who lack the needed licenses and insurance to protect the owner from accidents or fraud. They may lack written warranties or human resources to keep their promises and complete a job as promised.
5 Key Questions for Your Builder
You’ve finally decided to build that dream home and have invited us into your living room or have cornered us during the Parade of Homes. Now what?
As a professional homebuilder, we are prepared to answer any questions you have as you make a purchasing decision, arguably one of the most important financial choices in your life.
But while we encourage and welcome this dialogue, we often find that homebuyers aren’t typically prepared for that opportunity.
Insulation: Stay Cool without Sweating Energy Bills
New homes are built to save energy, and a primary component of that goal is insulation. The definition of insulation, however, is rapidly expanding as homebuyers and energy codes demand even better energy-use performance from new homes.
Today, there are far more options than those rolls of fiberglass you see on the shelves of big-box home improvement stores. While “batt” insulation remains an inexpensive yet effective option, other materials have emerged that help optimize thermal value in new structures or when replacing conventional insulation.
Is Geothermal in Your Future?
Improving home energy efficiency and building more sustainable housing is no longer a trend — it’s mainstream. As a professional builder, we feel it’s important to keep up on emerging technologies that may soon help our clients save money, improve comfort and reduce our impact on the environment.
In the spirit of learning about these new technologies, we profile a rising star in the world of heating and air conditioning: Geothermal (or “ground-source”) heating and cooling systems. Simply, a geothermal system uses the temperature of the ground to condition the air that is distributed through the house using conventional ductwork.
The Successful Outdoor Kitchen
Creating a backyard gathering space that works hard and looks great.
Outdoor kitchens are hot. In a 2012 survey by Professional Builder magazine, a fourth of the respondents named outdoor kitchens as one of their top selling features. There’s no shortage of ideas for these spaces, as a simple online search will show, but the best ones have some important things in common: they’re easy to use, work well in less than ideal weather conditions, and are outfitted with thoughtfully chosen appliances and materials. Here are some things to consider when designing your ultimate outdoor kitchen.