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A Builder's Perspective on Shopping for House Plans

by on February 27, 2012 in home building, Home Construction, House Plans, Remodeling

custom homeSelecting the house plan to build your new home can be an exciting process.  Finally you have the opportunity to create the home of your dreams that matches your family’s lifestyle.  Besides square footage, the number of bedrooms and an inspiring design, there are some additional items you should consider when selecting the plans to build your new home. Here you will get some insight from a builder’s perspective on what makes a great set of house plans.

Energy Efficiency:  If you’re thinking of building a more energy efficient home to save on your utility bills and help the environment, you might want to consider a plan that has been designed with this in mind.  The folks here at The House Designers have a large collection of green house plans that are designed to the Energy Star standard.  Because this energy efficient standard requires special building procedures and products, it will save you time and money to include them in the initial house plan set.

Foundation Type:  Your house plan foundation will be affected by the lot that you ultimately choose.  You probably won’t want to build a slab foundation if your lot is low due to the additional costs to raise the building pad.  As far as basements go, you probably won’t want a basement if your lot has rock at, or just below, the surface as this can be expensive to remove.  So, you may want to consider ordering your house plans after finalizing your lot selection.

Plan Handing:  Many of the house plans offered by The House Designers can be reversed…which means the layout can be changed to the opposite of what is shown.  So, if you choose to reverse a plan with a garage, the driveway and garage will flip to the opposite side of the home.  This is sometimes required if you are building on a corner lot as many municipalities won’t let you place a driveway near an intersection.

You may also want to consider views when deciding the orientation of your home.  You may want to reverse your house plan so the large grouping of windows frames that gorgeous ocean or mountain view.

PDF/AutoCad File:  No matter how perfect the house plan you choose is, my experience tells me you will most likely want to make a few last minute changes.  You may decide to add a basement window or two.  Or maybe you decide to replace that half wall at the family room with a spindled rail.  If you have the electronic version of the plan, this can easily be accomplished.

The other nice benefit to having the electronic version of your house plan is the distribution becomes much easier and cheaper.  When I’m bidding out a new home, I like to send a PDF version to each subcontractor through email.  This will save you both time and money versus printing and mailing.  Think about it.  If you have the minimum of three bidders per activity and you have thirty activities required to build your home, you will need to send out ninety (90) sets of house plans.  The electronic version of the plan saves both you and the environment.

Michael Luckado has built, remodeled and repaired thousands of homes across the U.S.  He created Armchair Builder  and the Armchair Builder Blog to help people save money on their new home building projects.

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5 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Contractor

by on February 15, 2012 in home additions, Home Construction, Remodeling

Photo Credit Shutterstock - Couple in front of House

Building a new home can be one of the most exciting events you’ll experience. It can also turn into a huge nightmare if you don’t choose the right contractor. When we say ‘right’ we are talking about a reputable contractor who will build you a quality home at the price agreed upon, and on time.

1) Ask for Client References

You know how the three most important elements of buying a home are location, location, location? Well, determining if you are going to hire a stellar contractor must be preceded by references, references, references.

Get at least three and then followup and ask the clients your questions. Don’t be shy, the follow up is essential.

You’ll want to ask:
• If they were happy with the quality of the work.
• Was their home completed on time and within budget.
• Did the contractor spend enough time on the job for their satisfaction.
• Was contractor easy to reach for questions or concerns.
• Would they recommend the contractor to family and friends.

2) Ask for Business References

Here you’re looking for the contractor’s banker, title company, material suppliers, sub-contractors.

The number one question for all these references is: Does the contractor pay on time? And for the suppliers and sub-contractors, ask if they’ve ever had to file a lien for non-payment, and if they still conduct business with the contractor.

3) Ask to see the Contractor’s License

You also want to see the general liability and workers-compensation insurance policies. Some states do not require or even offer a special license (such as Texas) but if your state does, obviously you want your contractor to have it.

4) Ask for the Contract

You’ll want to see the contract you’ll sign in the event you hire them. How much wiggle room is there? The more detailed the contract, the better protection you’ll have. Specifically you want details of the work to be done (with full materials allowances), the estimated start and finish dates, and total cost, and payment schedule.

Before you actually sign the completed contract, it’s not a bad idea to have an attorney review it.

5) Ask for Protection Clause

Ask if you can insert a clause that you’ll be compensated if they go a certain amount of time over schedule. Remember, time is money.. your money.. and the longer the building process takes, the more interest you have to pay on the construction loan.

You might ask for your interest payments to be paid by the contractor for every month they go over schedule. Now, you might agree to at least 30-45 days grace time past the schedule, and generally you allow for delays due to ‘acts of God’.

Along with these five questions, you’ll want to check with your state’s consumer protection agency along with your local Better Business Bureau to make sure the contractor doesn’t have a history of disputes with subcontractors or clients.

Guest Post by Dee, who builds homes in the Texas Hill Country. You’ll find her hanging out at SmallHouseLife.com where she writes articles like the 5 Biggest House Plan Mistakes and also reviews floorplans. She’ll even have a look at yours if you ask her!

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Product highlights from KBIS

by on May 2, 2011 in home designs, Kitchen Designs, Remodeling

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas may have ended, but it’s left consumers and builders with a big craving for new, innovative and GREEN kitchen and bath products.

KBIS is the equivalent to Fashion Week for kitchens and bathrooms, where companies present the new and most innovative products to impress architects, designers and consumers. This year the theme was heavy on functionality – products that aim to make your life easier by using the latest in technology.

Here are some highlights from the show:

There’s the NanaWall® Kitchen Transition, a custom window-door combo that has the ability to turn your kitchen into an indoor-outdoor living space.

Dacor’s® new Distinctive Series® focuses on affordable luxury in appliances. LG® also announced the new Studio Series® a line of energy efficient appliances, from microwaves to dishwashers

The new Hybrid line of outdoor grills from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet® is just in time for the warm weather. You can grill with gas, charcoal or wood and it has designated areas for fish, beef, chicken and pork. Also on display was the first dishwasher designed for the outdoors.

It was all about pampering with the latest in bidets and spa shower systems from leaders like TOTO,® American Standard® and Kohler®.

If you’re in the market for a new countertop you’ll want to check out Cambria®. It’s the only American made quartz. It’s non-porous so it will never stain, it doesn’t require sealant (so it’s chemical free) and it comes with a lifetime warranty. And it is absolutely gorgeous!

It was very refreshing to find companies like Dacor® and Cambria® who manufacture their products in the United States. GE Appliances® is also making a commitment to bring their manufacturing back to the states.

Look for this week’s issue of Home Ideas for more top product picks from the editors of The House Designers. If you’re not receiving this free e-newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

 

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5 Stages of Home Remodeling

by on January 2, 2011 in home additions, House Plans, Remodeling

With another year over, now is great time to think about starting a remodeling project or a full home addition. No matter what size project you plan on tackling, you can expect to go through five distinct stages – planning, budgeting, demolition, construction and cleanup.

If you stay involved with each stage (even participate if the project allows) particularly product selection you can ensure your project stays on track, on budget and that you get exactly what you want. You can learn more about each stage in 5 Stages of Remodeling a new article by The House Designers.

You’ll want to check out the 12 Top Remodeling Trends for 2011, which was the results of a recent poll by The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

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