Home improvement

New home construction is often a better option than buying an existing home. Getting your dream home constructed is the best way to fulfill your specific residential needs. There are several benefits of getting a new home built, such as energy efficiency, modern decor, latest appliances, customized design and cost effective construction. However, you should consider a few things before you actually get your home constructed, such as:

1. Select a reliable builder with an excellent track record.

2. Select the design and layout for the home after proper consideration.

3. Don’t forget to check with the builder during each construction phase.

4. Remember to keep a check on the amount of money being spent.

5. Try to time box the whole process.

According to official reports on residential construction trends in the metropolitan regions of America, the number of residential units constructed annually, between the years 2001 and 2005, grew substantially across all regions. However, a sharp decline in the construction of residential units was observed between 2006 and 2007. The decline rate was higher in single family units than in multifamily units.

Three Popular Reasons for Opting for New Home Construction

Here are top three reasons that have made new home construction the preferred option:

Tailored Design

You can decide on the design depending on your particular requirements and tastes, such as a spacious home office to conduct business, an extra bedroom for guests, a gourmet kitchen, choice of flooring, etc. Also, if you take well thought out decisions during the building process, you will not need to redecorate your home for a long time. Building your own home also ensures that your home is constructed according to your life style and other functional needs.

Modern Facilities and Energy Efficiency

In case you opt to buy a preexisting home, you may have to face several problems, such as lack of adequate insulation, inefficient and obsolete appliances, leaky window panes and chipped tiles. New home construction enables you to install the latest, energy efficient materials, such as energy saving appliances, advanced energy saving windows and high R-value insulation. These energy efficient appliances help to reduce electricity consumption and result in long-term savings.

Superior Quality Workmanship

Hiring the services of reliable and experienced home builders eliminates concerns that are otherwise associated with buying a preexisting home. Further, the superior quality of workmanship ensures that the job gets done in the best possible manner.

By: Melville Jackson

When designing a home or addition, part of the fun for the owner is imagining the project finished without any compromises. When bids come in from the contractors, many home owners are eager look at ways to reduce the price without loosing space or the character of the project. As the architects, our job is to help bring the price down as far as possible without loosing the qualities that the owners loved in the first place. It must be understood that some money saving choices could diminish the long term durability or energy efficiency of a home or addition.  The following are 5 ways to either design the most cost effective project from the start or adjust a design once the bids come in: 
Keep it simple: Generally the simpler the overall details and structure of a home, the less expensive it is to build-the exception are extremely precise modern details. Consider cost effective materials both on the exterior and interior of the home. There can be a $20/square foot or more difference between higher priced flooring materials and lower priced choices. The same is true of exterior materials. Before making those choices be aware of the trade offs, sometimes they are minimal. Keep built-in cabinetry to a minimum. In the long run those elements can be added, but in the short run they are expensive. You may need to buy more furniture to take the place of cabinetry. Explore the trade-offs of lower priced windows and doors. For exterior doors and windows the savings may not always justify the change. Make certain that the alternatives are durable, attractive, and energy efficient before making those changes. Review choices for the mechanical system. There are many ways to heat and cool a home. Not all systems are designed equal, but the cost differential between the most expensive and the least expensive is substantial.

Bonus idea:
Add a porch. Few additions to a home add as much beauty, functionality, and pleasure as a porch and for a fraction of the cost of interior space.
 
We help our clients make these choices quite frequently. In my experience, an informed client is a happy client-make sure you know the trade-offs and look at as many samples of alternatives as possible.

To view photos associated with this article, please go to:
http://blog.crisparchitects.com/2009/10/cutting-costs-on-construction-projects-5-ways-to-stretch-your-construction-dollars/

By: James Crisp

The shaky housing market has some home improvement contractors running scared, but there is no reason to hang up your tool belt just yet. Business from homebuilders may have dried up, but homeowners themselves still need what you have to offer. In fact, experts are forecasting growth in the remodeling arena – in part as an offshoot of the decline in home sales. The trick will be switching your marketing strategy to reach your new target audience.
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Remodeling, of course, is an evergreen business. Approximately 25 million homeowners undertake some type of home improvement project each year, according to research from Harvard’s Improving America’s Housing 2007.?And the Home Improvement Research Institute predicts that sales of home improvement products will grow at an average rate of 6% annually over the next four years – a sign that people will still be investing in their homes.?
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Some of this demand is triggered by normal home upkeep. Two-thirds of existing homes are now at least 25 years old – the age at which items such as the roof, windows and plumbing fixtures begin to need repair or replacement, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Other projects are inspired by a simple desire to upgrade one’s living environment – perhaps pushed along these days by television lifestyle shows filled with luxury amenities.
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Additional demand will be driven by the state of the housing market, experts say. Some homeowners who were planning to move will instead renovate because they can’t sell their homes in the current economy. Properties that have fallen victim to the foreclosure crisis will be acquired and in need of remodeling, particularly over the next 18 months as foreclosures peak. And pent-up demand for older home remodeling, energy efficiency retrofits and rental stock improvements will be unleashed when the economy perks up, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
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Bottom line: there’s still business today, and there will be MORE business over the near term. Now is the time to lay the marketing groundwork to cash in.
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While word-of-mouth referrals will always be important, it’s not enough to keep your pipeline filled. Advertising plays an essential role in bringing customers to your door by building brand recognition as well as credibility. But not all ads are created equal. Follow these rules of thumb for best results:

Define your target audience and create an effective method to reach them. If your service is high-end, maximize your advertising dollars by targeting only top homes by value in the marketplace. Showcase your best work through photographs. This inspires remodeling ideas and helps consumers visualize the effect that a remodeling project will have on their own home. Look for advertising outlets that focus on home remodeling, because that’s where your target customer is going to be looking for contractors – not mixed in with pizza coupons. Advertise on a regular basis. A consumer normally needs to see your name and ad repeatedly before picking up the phone. Be sure that your phone number and other contact information is prominently displayed in your ad so that consumers can reach you easily.?

Remember: the home improvement business is still alive and kicking. It’s just a matter of finding opportunities in new places. Put yourself in front of the right people – through advertising – and the work will come.
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For more information on home improvement advertising, visit www.thehomemag.com.

By: C. Goebel

When you turn on an electric or gas burner, a good deal of the heat does not go to the pan, but into the air. If you open the oven door, the heat rushes out of the oven and into the air and the oven has to reheat. When you turn off an electric burner, even though the the power is off, heat is still given off and is considered to be wasted. So by strict definition of “energy efficiency” one of the most used appliances in your home just doesn’t measure up.

Even though cooktops and ranges do not earn the Energy Star rating under today’s standards, there are some products that are more efficient than others.

I am in the market for a new kitchen stove and began the research to find the most energy efficient product that fit into my budget. With the tax credits available for Energy Star appliances, I asked if there were any Energy Star rated stoves (ranges if you will). The answer is, no. Why? Very simply, because energy efficiency is measured on how much energy it takes to perform a particular function compared to how much energy is lost or wasted by that same process.

Solar Powered

There are some small solar powered stoves and hybrid solar (solar with electric backup) for those days when the sun doesn’t shine on the market today. Most of the specifications indicate a minimal temperature range and have very limited capacity. The largest capacity I found measured 21.25 inches square by 7.78 inches deep. If you are looking to experiment with solar cooking, there are any number of plans on the internet to build your own solar stove using materials found around your home. However, the solar solution may not be the most practical for a busy family. For now, being somewhat of a pragmatist, I’ve focused my search and the following article on the more practical options for today’s busy family.

Induction/Electromagnetic

The new induction cooktops and ranges are the most efficient on the market tody. Induction cooking surface, when turned on and a metal pan is on the cooking element, produce an electrical current in the cooktop which creates a magnetic field that causes the pan to heat and cook your food. It’s like magic. Even if the burner is turned on, when the pan is not touching the surface, you could lay your hand on the element. It’s instant on and off. I’ve actually done this and was quite amazed. There is no heat loss when you remove the pan, which makes the induction cooktop more efficient than other cooking surfaces. The pans must have flat bottoms and be made of metal or the electromagnetic heating process won’t work.

Most major appliance manufacturers offer an induction cooktop (no oven). If you are trying to replace an all-in-one cooktop and oven, there are several manufactures: Samsung, Kenmore, Viking, GE, and Diva. The oven component is typically electric with a convection option. Like most new technologies, the induction cooking appliances are still expensive. However, over the past year, prices have dropped.

Natural Gas or Propane vs Electric

If an expensive cooktop or range is not in your plan, there are other options. Based on current natural gas prices, natural gas, is still slightly cheaper to operate than an electric cooktop.. So, if you’re investigating appliances based on cost of operation, you’ll want to investigate average prices of electricity vs natural gas in your area. (Be aware that the proposed energy legislation will affect the cost of any fossil based fuel and prices will go up for both natural gas and electricity. How much they will rise is not yet known.) Overall, the savings of gas over electric has historically been minimal and amounts to less than $50 a year in savings. If you are a cook that prefers gas, there are many options from which to choose. Many of the most popular brands are carried by Lowes, Home Depot and Sears.

Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops – Which to Buy – Induction, Gas, or Electric

The most energy efficient cooking solution would be an induction cook top with an electric/convection oven, followed by a gas cooktop with an electric/convection oven. Convection ovens are a little more expensive than an electric or gas only oven, but they require less cooking time, so you are using less energy and reducing your time in the kitchen. For the busy family, less time is a real plus. All in one gas or electric units are the cheapest solution, but not the most energy efficient. The differences in operating costs depend greatly on the utility prices in your area. However, the cost difference, based on the national average of gas vs electricity, is only a few cents, with natural gas being the cheaper.

Price Comparison

So, if you’re in the market for a new range or cooktop and your primary objective is saving energy, go for an induction cooktop with an electric/convection oven. For that system, budget between $1700 for a fully featured system and $9500 for a whiz bang designer, professional grade system.

If natural gas or propane is available in your area, the next best combo would be a gas cook top and an electric/convection oven. Prices vary considerably, ranging from under $1000 for a basic model to the mid-range of $1700 -$2500 for a full featured stainless steel unit. If you have even a higher budget, there are some magnificent options for the person who really enjoys cooking ranging in price between $3000 and $20,000.

If the electric option is all you have, don’t despair. Remember that the differences in energy consumption and energy cost between the gas or electric options are not that significant. By going the extra step and purchasing an electric cook top with an electric/convection oven, you will be reducing oven cooking time and, thus, energy consumption. Any reduction in energy consumption is a positive and will produce some cost savings. Prices for these units vary from $1500 to $2000 for fully featured stainless steel units. These are available from most appliance manufacturers. If your budget is less than $1500, check out prices on the internet. There are good deals to be found on this type of stove. If I’m still talking above your budget, “all electric” or “all gas” ranges vary in price from $258 to $1500. Keep in mind that the very low end products will not typically be self-cleaning, nor will they have the insulation to keep the heat inside the oven when cooking, nor will the temperature control of the oven be very precise.

While cooking units are not energy efficient according to the standards set by Energy Star. Since there are not significant differences in energy cost among the options, it boils down to budget, cooking style, and availability of natural gas/propane. I’ve given you some things to think about when purchasing that new stove and, hopefully, you found them useful.

By: Ashford Langley

Many families dream about building a new home for many years before they actually do. It isn’t unheard of for families to research building a new home for a few years. It’s never too early to start thinking about what type of home you want to build; the earlier you begin your research the more you will know what you want in a home when the time comes to move forward.

Below are some tips on how to get started on your journey to building a new home:

One of the first steps to building a new home is to find land. It is highly recommended by many building professionals that you find your land first before you begin the design process. Your land could affect your overall design for your new home. For example, your land may influence how you position your new home and what views you are looking to maximize. Maximizing natural lighting is important for the energy efficiency of your new home. Also, your lot size can impact how big you can build your home, especially if you have a small lot with restrictions. If you decide to build a garage right away, where you position your garage depends on the layout of your land too. When it comes down to it, your land will play a significant role on how you design your home.

If you are looking to build a timber frame home, panelized home or any other prefab home the next step is to find a manufacturer. With so many types of building styles and manufacturers out there it can feel overwhelming. It is important to have multiple discussions and possibly make arrangements to see a sample home in person. There are many online tools today to help you establish a connection if you live far away from the manufacturer.

The next step is to start the design process. Many prefab manufacturers offer design services or you can work with an independent architect or designer. Once you have your land, starting the design process is one step closer to building your new home.

To help you figure out a timeline, you should allow at least a year from start to finish to build your new home. The design process can take as little as three months or as long as nine months, depending on the number of changes you make and the complexity of the design. The construction process can take anywhere on average between 9-12 months. Your timeline could be less or more depending on the size and complexity of your design. Also some methods of construction are a faster and more efficient way to build such as prefab homes that are manufactured in sections than shipped to your site and assembled.

By: Molly Gagnon

From cabinets to floors, home improvement efforts have not stopped, even in the current economic downturn. If you are thinking of improving something around your space, consider these hot trends in the industry.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are quickly becoming the hottest trend in home improvement. Homeowners are no longer viewing these as simply a functional space. They are now turning them into a quiet oasis, where a soak in the tub is not just time to get clean, but also time to rejuvenate the senses and refocus for another day. Clean lines, uncluttered space, and comfortable pieces are the hottest trends for bathrooms.

Outdoor Spaces

As the property market continues to struggle, more and more property owners are putting money into improving their outdoor space. Doing so helps ensure that the house looks as good as possible when they decide to sell. This curb appeal can make or break a potential sale. As an added bonus, the property’s owner has a beautiful space in which to live while still owning the house.

Renovating Small Kitchens

People with small kitchens are often known to expand their space by knocking down walls and incorporating dining rooms into kitchen space. However, some are opting to make the best use out of what they have through revitalizing their small space, incorporating vertical storage to add functionality, and adding fishing touches to make it look modern without adding physical space.

Focusing on the Environment

Environmental friendliness is becoming a household term, and this is showing up in home improvement efforts time and time again. From using renewable resources for the actual materials to choosing the most energy efficient appliances for the house, homeowners are making more responsible choices when they redo areas of their properties. Even windows and doors are becoming the target of remodels, as people are replacing drafty windows with energy efficient options. By focusing on energy efficiency, not only are they improving things for future generations, but they are also ensuring that their current energy bills will be lower.

Wood Flooring

Today’s homeowners are opting out of carpeting and choosing wood or laminate flooring for their homes. This is helping to improve indoor air quality for families who suffer from allergies, and it also helps improve property values. When the time comes to sell the house, potential buyers will be pleased to see lovely wood or wood-like flooring, rather than carpeting that they will want to replace or professionally clean.

Unusual Materials

For those who are planning to stay in their homes, unusual materials are becoming more and more prevalent in home improvement. Bamboo or metal cabinetry, for example, is becoming common in today’s markets. Sometimes these unusual materials can detract from a future sale, but for those with no intention to put their house on the market, they can add a touch of class and drama to your living space.

Lots of Color

White is out, and color is in! If you are thinking about painting, make sure you embrace this trend! Choose a color that you love, and add it to your home improvement plans. If it is too much for the whole room, consider an accent wall or furniture piece in a brilliant, bold color. With today’s trends, your living space does not have to be boring!

By: Aaliyah Arthur

In a landmark survey by Cahners Residential Group in 2004, ninety-one percent of homebuyers said that energy-efficient features in a home were extremely or very important to them. The demand for old and new homes that use less energy continues to grow from a niche market into an emerging segment of the mainstream residential building and remodeling industry.

Now traditional contractors and builders can apply scientific techniques to create more energy efficient homes that provide greater comfort, durability, health and safety. Best of all, they can do it in a practical and affordable way using building performance technologies and techniques. This means looking at how all the components of the house work together including the thermal shell, heating and cooling equipment, ventilation, windows and doors, and appliances.

For those contractors who have already embraced the building science philosophy, there’s always more to learn. The industry is constantly evolving with more technologies and best practices shared among building science professionals. Thanks to ACI’s national and regional conferences and an expanding range of training and education initiatives, contractors and builders across the country are being trained to employ a “whole-house” systems approach to new construction and home improvement. That means more customers are getting a better overall home environment when builders and contractors incorporate comprehensive measures to address comfort, health and safety, durability, and energy efficiency.

Improving the performance of existing homes

Contractors nationwide are being trained and accredited in building performance, the systematic approach to improving the indoor environment by applying improvements to the whole house, not just a part of it. These contractors use performance diagnostics to evaluate the condition of a home and verify the impact of improvements. Blower door tests for building shell leakage, combustion safety tests, duct leakage diagnostics, and infrared thermal imaging are examples of diagnostic tests provided by building performance contractors to help ensure the health, safety, comfort, and durability of a home before and after improvements. Once the initial assessment is complete, the contractor will recommend how to remedy any problems they found, and can complete the recommended work for the homeowner. The end result for customers is lower energy bills and improved comfort and safety.

Building performance techniques benefit contractors as well by differentiating themselves in the marketplace. Contractors who use these comprehensive testing and installation techniques to treat the house as a system can distinguish their businesses from traditional contractors by providing their customers better, more informed solutions to common house problems, including high energy costs, uneven temperatures from room to room, moisture and air quality issues, as well as maintenance and durability. Some contractors may have access to energy efficiency programs, including Home Performance with ENERGY STAR? and ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes sponsored by local utilities and state agencies that offer technical training, certification assistance, marketing support and even financial incentives including low-interest financing, cash back, and tax credits for customers investing in recommended, eligible energy efficiency improvements.

Exceeding minimum building standards

For new construction, builders can achieve substantial energy savings through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and ENERGY STAR Qualified Home standards.

The LEED Green Building Rating System? is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.

Newly built homes that earn the ENERGY STAR must meet guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). ENERGY STAR qualified homes can include a variety of energy-efficient features, such as effective insulation, high performance windows and doors, well-sealed and insulated duct systems, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances. These features contribute to improved home quality and homeowner comfort, and to lower energy demand and reduced air pollution.

In addition to offering a high quality product to consumers, builders of energy efficient homes are eligible for a $2,000 federal tax credit under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. A new energy efficient home must achieve 50 percent energy savings for heating and cooling over the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). At least one-fifth of the energy savings must come from building envelope improvements.

A bright future

As the demand for high quality, efficient homes gains momentum, more contractors and builders will look to building performance to add value to conventional homes, setting a new standard in the residential new construction and home improvement industries and empowering their customers to make better choices for themselves, the economy and the environment.

Visit http://www.affordablecomfort.org or call 1-800-344-4866 x 26 to register for an upcoming webcast series or conference:

“Duct Camp” Webcast – September 12-December 19, 2006

ACI New England – Westford, MA – October 4-5, 2006

New Jersey Home Performance Conference – Atlantic City, NJ – January 24-25, 2007

ACI Northwest – Portland, OR – February 21-22, 2007

ACI Home Performance Conference 2007 – Cleveland, OH – April 23-27, 2007

ACI, a nonprofit organization supported by utility companies, state agencies and building science leaders and trade organizations, has 20 years experience elevating the building science industry, to affect change and building practices to address and improve performance issues of comfort, efficiency, and affordability in new and existing housing.

By: Helen Perrine

Of particular importance in your effort to build an environmentally-friendly home is the windows that you will choose. Energy efficient windows for your new home construction can make your heating bills lower in the winter and your cooling bills easier to handle in the summer. An energy efficient window needs to be at two panes thick, have a low-E (emitting) glass coating, an airtight frame, and be rated as energy-efficient by the Energy Star program. Let’s look at each of these elements of the energy efficient window in greater detail.

Frames

When considering your window frames, the material of the frame is very crucial the energy efficiency of the window itself. Opting for a vinyl or fiberglass frame ensures maximum efficiency and both of these materials do a great job of reducing the heat transfer and improving the insulation factor of the home and the home’s envelope. The decision to go with vinyl or fiberglass is usually an aesthetic one for most homeowners, although cost of the window frame itself certainly plays a role in that decision. Look for window frames in vinyl and fiberglass that have been specifically engineered and designed to perform optimally, such as those that have chambers within the frame that enhance their strength, provide additional insulation and reduce noise

Multiple Panes

Having dual pane or multiple pane windows is important when installing windows that are energy efficient. Dual pane windows have a space between the two panes of glass that is filled with either gas (look for those gases like argon or krypton for their non-toxicity) or air. This provides more insulation than a single pan window. If you can afford it, go for Energy Star rated windows that have three or even more panes for the highest level of energy savings. Look for windows that feature spacers between the panes that allow for the correct distance of panes in order to allow for airflow within the pane. These warm edge spacers can be made of fiberglass, vinyl, foam or steel and will have the added benefit of reducing or preventing condensation between panes. Your windows should also feature low-E coating that will block out the infrared light from the sun that makes your home hotter in the summer and that can fade your flooring, carpeting, or furniture over time.

Financial Incentives for High Efficiency Windows

Local, state and federal governments have recently announced incentives for homeowners who install energy-efficient upgrades in their homes. These incentives include tax breaks and tax rebates. Talk to your installer or your contractor to find out if the windows that you choose qualify for these tax incentives and be sure to file for them in a timely manner. You can get up to $200 under some programs for each window that you install, either as a tax deduction or a credit on your taxes. That makes paying for your high efficiency windows easier, and provides you with a bit of money to spend on other eco-friendly upgrades.

By: Marc Mathis

If you’re in the market for a home, why not choose new home construction. You’ll get energy-efficient construction, customized design, and all the benefits of having a home that was built just for you!

Are you in the market for a new home? Are you tired of looking at homes with outdated decor, ancient appliances, and drafty single-pane windows? Then why not consider new home construction. Having a house custom-built for your family offers numerous advantages and can actually help you save money in the long run.

Energy Efficiency

While many older homes are lacking adequate insulation, have inefficient old appliances, and still have leaky single-pane windows, new construction buildings can contain all of the energy-efficient materials and appliances you need for long-term savings. From Energy Star-rated appliances to high R-value insulation to high-tech energy-saving windows, energy-efficient construction can make a major difference in the bottom line on your electricity, heating, and cooling bills. A great way to cut your energy usage and do something great for the planet at the same time, choosing new home construction is just the energy-smart thing to do!

Customized Design

Meeting the needs of the “average” family is easy: 2.4 bedrooms for the 2.4 kids and a doghouse out back. But the simple truth is not every family is average! Whether you need extra bedrooms for your growing family, want a spacious home office for your business, or would like a gourmet kitchen for entertaining, cookie-cutter designs rarely take your needs into account. But with new home construction you can design your home around your specific wants, desires, and needs. From layout to finishes like cabinetry and flooring, building a home leaves the decisions in your hands. That means your new home will meet both your style and functional needs. So no more redecorating after the previous owner’s overly floral decor style and no more having to add on or rearrange rooms to suit your family: new home construction helps you get the house that’s perfect for you and your family right off the bat.

Quality Workmanship

Buying a home is often a real guessing game. Is the electrical wiring up to code? Was the addition built properly? Is the foundation settling badly? There are so many questions about whether the home was built right in the first place, not to mention issues of DIY fixes and remodeling projects gone wrong. But when you choose to build a home, you can rest assured that the job will be done right. By choosing quality home builders in your area and following the construction of your home, you can alleviate the questions and worries that come with purchasing a preexisting home.

With all of these great reasons, it’s easy to see why new construction homes just make sense. Why settle when you can get the house of your dreams, custom built for you! Upgrade today by building a new home for your family-contact your local home builders to get started.

By: Aglaia Rara