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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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Internet Reality Check
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 where we start our research into new products, technologies and construction methods.
Reducing the Cost of Regulation
Government rules take time, money and skill to navigate. That’s why you need a pro.
Did the budget for your new home come in higher than you expected? Part of the reason may be that the fixed costs of building anything have gone up.
What a Parade!
Thanks to all of you who stopped by to visit our award-winning Parade Home during the recent Parade of Homes. I enjoyed chatting with the many friends, clients and new visitors who stopped by.
I owe a special thanks to our homeowners, Paul & Danita, who so kindly opened their home for all to enjoy.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Intelligent universal design fades into the background and makes everyone happier
Today’s biggest demographic trend poses a challenge and also presents an opportunity. That’s because more and more working-age people are asking for a home with space to accommodate senior parents with age-related mobility or physiological issues.
A Touch of Drama
Outdoor lighting is a real art, and the best result comes from planning ahead.
A beautiful custom home represents a huge investment of time, care and money. Someone who has decided to make that investment most likely wants the home to present its best face to the world. During the day, that face is the architecture and landscaping, but after dark, it’s largely determined by the outdoor lighting.
How to Use Online Contractor Reviews
Trust? Maybe. Verify? Definitely.
A September 2011 Business Week article reported on a Texas home improvement contractor that hired a writer to post 200 positive reviews on sites like Yelp and Google. The story went on to cite other examples and estimated the percentage of fake online reviews at close to 30 percent.
Such articles have been multiplying, with a Google search for “can you trust online reviews?”
Making Sense of Allowances
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 can allocate a dollar amount to each category and let the homeowners choose specific products later.