Building
If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know that we are big-time advocates of Twitter. It's been an incredible channel to share, meet and learn from our readers, friends and industry folks.
One such industry contact that we've taken notice too is Mike Hines of eXapath. Mike is the co-founder of Homepath Products which promotes eXapath, an in-wall media cable routing system.
Traditional home wiring consists of power for lighting and outlets and phone lines. With the proliferation of broadband home computing and home theater, homeowners must pay for expensive retrofitting and also make choices based on how far cables can reach after a wall is already up.
By installing an eXapath in-wall cabling system you can run all of your new media cables such as ethernet and HDMI in wall channels throughout the house.
Out of all the work trucks we saw at the 2010 Builders' Show the Carmix One was the coolest.
It's a self-loading concrete mixer that's perfect for when you need a lot more concrete than a wheel barrow can provide and you need it in multiple spots quickly. It's also small enough to be more nimble and manageable than a full-size mixer truck which is overkill for most projects.
Most home builders are more than ready to put 2009 behind them. The mortgage crisis had a domino effect across the economy but really put home builders behind the 8-ball this past year.
There were some changes that we think are for the better such as the slow down of McMansions due to consumer demand lessening and hopefully that trend will continue, but for the most part there were many new challenges that both homeowners and home builders faced in 2009 that weren't applicable earlier this decade.
Builder online highlighted their top 9 and we pulled these three as the most damaging. Do you agree?
Evaporated Financing
Banks' reluctance to loan money hit both builders and buyers of homes in 2009.
Banks pulled construction money from builders, effectively putting many private builders out of business unless they were able to find alternative sources of money from friends and family, private equity funds, or had personal funds squirreled away that they could tap. (Click here for strategies on avoiding a credit crisis.)
Again, this hit private builders harder than public builders, but the publics didn't escape the credit crunch either. Many shut down their revolving lines of credit or lowered their balances when banks started charging more for the money and adding more requirements for access to the cash.
As new home sales have plunged this year, the rate of custom homes being built has remained steady. Many homeowners are looking for more than a box in a master planned community but rather a home that has their own personal taste built right into it and from the ground up.
Depending on the upgrades and amenities selected, custom homes don't have to cost significantly more but homeowners should be aware of the time and energy it will take to make it through the home building process.
We've identified 6 steps to building a custom home that you should be aware of before considering this exciting but challenging venture.
1. Budget
Don't get in over your head which is very easy to do when building a custom home as costs rise quickly and time will fly.
You can scale down the most in the kitchen and bathroom and opt-out of expensive windows and flooring.
Lots that require grading or use of heavy equipment to take down trees or boulders will increase your costs.
A rule of thumb is that the more angles in a house, the higher the price. Stick to an easy rectangular home.
2. Purchase the land.
If you are buying in a custom home sub-division it should already be prepped for water, electric, phone and cable.
If you are buying raw property you need to determine the costs associated with bringing utilities to you.
Also check with the city in regards to residential building on the property and make sure you are aware of the zoning and setback requirements.
3. Create House Plans
You can hire an architect or buy generic home plans. Check out houseplandesignworks.com, edselbreland.com, stockhouseplans.com.
The adventure writer Tim Cahill shares his 500 square foot cabin for the world to see. It's extremely modest and the decor is an afterthought but the location and simplicity are oh so appealing.
Nothing ruins a fantastic remodel more quickly than exceeding the project budget. Why is this phenomenon so common in residential remodeling? Simple: Many homeowners struggle to establish a detailed budget at the appropriate time in the course of the project.
Why is establishing remodel cost one of your most important remodeling tools? Determining your budget at the beginning of your project helps in the following ways:
-Prevents wasting time and money on a project that turns out too expensive for your current budget.
-Allows you to more carefully analyze bids from general contractors.
-Forces you to decide emphatically on what you want and what you can afford.
-Puts you in charge of the project costs, not the general contractor or subcontractors.
-Provide your designer (if needed) with cost parameters that help keep costs reasonable.
In most situations a sharp nail tip is required but when driving larger nails (8d and higher) into 2x4's or other wood panels, the force and size of nail can cause the board to split.
Quick solution is to turn the nail upside down, place the head on a hard surface and give the tip of the nail a quick but firm tap to "dull" it. Then turn the nail around and drive it just as you would normally except this time you'll notice the board won't split. Good luck!
If you're into hammer tips check out our all-time favorite nail pulling tip that will keep your walls clean and help you pull ANY nail.
We want to highlight how the construction slowdown is effecting peoples lives especially in what used to be hot markets such as Las Vegas. No other city could match the commercial building frenzy that Las Vegas was able to sustain from the early 90's until 2007 but now that many projects are on hold or are now off the table there are thousands of skilled tradespeople who are facing the dilemma of waiting out the slow period or moving on to other markets that are also in a slow down.
The Wall Street Journal covered this subject in-depth and we found these passages the most interesting.
Boomers used to complete a job then easily move to another city or state when work became scarce. That changed as the unemployment rate for construction workers nationwide rose to 16.5% in August, double the rate a year earlier. In Las Vegas, there were 21,000 fewer construction jobs in August than there were a year earlier -- a 20% drop.
The six winners have been announced in the Marvin's Architect's Challenge. The winners were chosen based on the ability to demonstrate architectural variety, exceptional design and execution, and inventive use of Marvin windows and doors (it's Marvin's contest, after all). Three stunning houses, a fishing retreat and church - all beautiful but not modest.
The winners were chosen by judges David Baker, dbarchitect.com, Carson Looney, lrk.com, and Stephen Muse, Musearchitects.com.
Last week we broke down in detail the 4-steps to checking your contractors references. Follow through on these suggestions and have confidence that you've done everything you can do to cover yourself, your home and your money.
Step 1. Do their Biggest Fans Love Them?
Step 2. Are Their Most Recent Clients Happy?
Step 3. Do Their Suppliers Tolerate Them?
Step 4. Are the Feds Hunting Them?
