Sometimes I just shake my head when I hear how some contractors do business and how naïve homeowners can be.  Recently I quoted a substantial home remodeling job.  I always offer to bring over the quote to review with the homeowner face-to-face so that we are on the same page as far as what I have quoted and the allowances that are taken into account.  Many times the homeowner just wants me to email the quote since they are anxious to see it.  In this case the homeowner had gotten four so called “quotes”.

When I called to ask if they reviewed the quote and had any questions they said they were going with someone else.  They said my quote was not the highest but they were going with the lowest quote which was substantially less than the other three.  The difference was so significant that I had to ask a few questions and when I asked them  whether they were sure that we had quoted the same work, quality and allowances they said they only had a total price from the contractor they were going with and did not have anything in writing or any of the details.

I spent probably 7 hours of my time let alone the time of my sub contractors and vendors making sure that I had everything they asked for included in the quote and provided a specific detailed estimate showing exactly what they would get for their money.  I had outlined the allowances for all of the fixtures, carpet, tile, etc.  The homeowner had a PDF of the plans but not a copy and I had even gone to have a print copy made so I had the exact information.

I know that I will do many quotes where I will not get the work for one reason or another.  Sometimes the reason is out of my control but I know that taking the time to do thorough quotes benefits the homeowner and myself.

The message I want you to take away is to proceed with caution when a  contractor tells you that he/she can do exactly what you want for the budget you have set without giving you anything in writing to show what you are paying for and what he/she is committing to.  In that situation someone is going to be VERY disappointed in the end and it’s probably going to be YOU.

I’m not what I would call a superstitious person but I do think there are signs that mean something.  The last home that I built was for a couple in their 60’s who wanted their forever home.  I worked with them to ensure that the home would accommodate their needs in their later years and even if confined to a wheelchair.  They are very happy in the new home and in the neighborhood they selected.  Recently, when visiting them, a storm came through and quickly was replaced by the photo that you see above.  Now is this a good sign or what?

My clients experienced an “AH-HA” moment recently when I was estimating their new custom home. The clients are in their 60’s and thinking about aging as they picked out a house plan. Of course they wanted the living space to be all on one floor to allow for ease of access and to include handicap accessible options should that be needed in the future. They looked around the area before deciding to build and actually really liked the house I was just completing that was about the same square feet they were looking for. Once I had prepared the estimate for them they were confused by how the similarly sized home they wanted to build was more per square foot than the one they had looked at earlier. I naturally went back and checked all of my pricing and calculations and told them the numbers were correct and the estimate remained the same. I then explained to them the difference between the cost to build up versus the cost to build out:

 BUILD UP – Two Story Home – Pro’s: Ability to add considerable square footage without adding cost for roofing and foundation materials- -Can purchase Smaller Lot since the footprint is smaller

BUILD OUT – One Story Home – Pro’s: Can Age in Place and live more independently since all on one floor, No stairs for Arthritic knees or baby gates for  toddlers, Parents and Children on Same Floor, Easier Egress in case of Emergency- Provides multiple choices for Ceiling height and Can accommodate Vaulted or Tray ceilings since no second story.

Each family needs to look at their personal preferences, financial situation and items they are not willing to give up or compromise.  With these things in mind discuss with your contractor what makes sense for your situation before you make any firm decisions.

The popularity of Craftsman architecture, both old and new, lies in the fact that it looks like home.” [/su_pullquote]

The floor plan for the house I’m building at 1001 Vicksburg Drive in Winterville, NC was designed by another builder who refers to it as a Traditional Craftsman style. I’ll be putting a few of my own ideas into the finished product but thought you might be interested in knowing some of the key design features of the original ” Craftsman Design” and it’s history. The first true craftsman style started in California in the 1900’s  with open floor plans and influence from Spanish missions, Japanese Imperial buildings and the Arts and Crafts movement.  Two brothers, Charlie and Henry Greene are credited with the original American Craftsman style architectural designs and many of their original craftsman style bungalows can still be seen today.  Henry Wilson and Gustav Stickley were key in making the Craftsman design popular. Stickley, in his magazine The Craftsman, that was published between 1901 – 1916; used the magazine and catalogs to sell house plans and strong, simple home furnishing. In each issue those interested in the Arts and Crafts movement could find a unique Craftsman floor plan. Wilson also wrote a book in 1910 titled, The Bungalow Book, that showed photo’s and floor plans for 112 bungalow style homes.

Popularity of the Craftsman home spread across the United States driven by the growing middle class and has seen a resurgence in the past 10 years.  Quality and value is now very important and the pre-housing slump “McMansion“, no longer represents the lifestyle or values of the average family. Robert Winter, an author and lecturer, summed it up in these words; ” The popularity of Craftsman architecture, both old and new, lies in the fact that it looks like home.”

Today, the Craftsman style home takes on many forms and maintains a lot of the unique characteristics and quality of the original architects and artisans.  I am a craftsman and love the history and inherent quality and usability of a Craftsman design…..not to mention that I love to build houses and would enjoy talking with you about your plans for a new home.

Some Identifying Features of the Craftsman Style Home

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• Low pitched roof
• Natural materials
• Open floor plan
• Broad eaves
• Porches with tapered columns
• Brick or stone fireplace

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• Shingle or lapped siding
• Knee braces and exposed beams
• Multi lights over single pane
• Multiple windows together in banks
• Built in custom crafted cabinetry
• Dormers of various styles

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Pictures below are of the Edward Schulmerich home (1915) and the Abernathy-Shaw Home (1908) both are original Craftsman designs. (images from Wikipedia)

When I started the planning process for the current spec house we’re building, I tried to think about anything unexpected that might pop up or issues that I would have to address.  Some of the potential culprits that came to mind were:

• Would there be delays in finalizing the financing
• Would skilled, reliable sub contractors be available when I need them
• Would material prices increase significantly between estimate and purchase
• Would the home sell in a reasonable time

I was trying to prepare in advance for contingencies and think about what my headaches would be.  Never, did I once think that ” Mother Nature” would be numero uno on my list.  While I was thinking ” SPRING”  mother nature could not let go of “OLD MAN WINTER.”    It has rained, snowed, sleeted, iced and every other form of precipitation known to man since I put up the permit board.  I hadn’t expected the delays to be that the lot was so wet the concrete truck would get stuck and have to wait for the next truck load to pull it out or that my dumpster would be filled with limbs and debris rather than construction materials   or that the rain would have to stop and the plastic dry before we could pass inspection.

This is where the idea of “Don’t sweat the small stuff”  comes into play.  I need to frequently refer to the chart below since I doubt I will ever be able to control Mother Nature……Although the bad weather is inconvenient it will change soon and we’ll be wishing it was not so hot, humid and dry.

According to the National Home Builders Association 2014 is stacking up to be a good year for new home construction and remodeling which makes me happy since that is how I make my living.  I clearly remember the day I was told that my employer could no longer afford to keep a superintendent for his custom home building business.  He probably kept me on his payroll longer than he should have and I am truly grateful to him for that and for all that he taught me in those 7 years.  I was scared as you can imagine, but decided that with my technical and trade skills and General Contractor license I could try to make it in this tough economy by picking up any type of work that was available.   In order to have more opportunities I learned to do all types of tile and flooring installation and was able to make it financially when many did not.  It’s now been several years and Grace Construction, Inc. is a successful small business and we look forward to growth in 2014.

13 Top Remodeling/Building Trends for 2014:

Remodeling:

• Granite is still the favorite countertop but expect to see more Quartz in 2014 –   Quartz is nonporous and there is no need to seal and it doesn’t crack or stain
•  More homeowners are choosing to mix and match counter tops in the kitchen and you will see quartz counters and marble or granite islands in the same room
• Stainless Steel appliances are still the most requested and that will remain the same
• Limited use of bold colors in the kitchen or throughout the house as far as paint goes but you will see bold accents like in a backsplash or pillows but not on the walls

 Design:

• Open Kitchen plans will continue to gain popularity because families want the kitchen to open up to the living spaces to give more room and access
• 2014 is about functionality with improved storage being key – Laundry room layout and storage are critical and most folks want a linen closet in each bathroom
• Homes will be Universally designed which means the design allows for young families and/or those in their 70’s with aging needs
• Energy Savings is important in design and in appliances but green construction does not seem to be as critical

 Products:

• Electrical outlets will have USB or Usockets so that you can charge iPads and iPhones or other mobile devices
• Curb-less showers and drains will make showers accessible with a wheelchair – Newer strong and lightweight shower systems are now available to reduce curb-less installation costs
• LED kitchen lights
• One of the highest things on the kitchen wish list is a “Chef” stove in the kitchen…..gold standard is a gas six burner stove
• Hoodless range fans with little noise

A couple of weeks ago I went by to check on a project where we were installing vinyl replacement windows.  The homeowner shared that his pest control technician had told him that he had a lot of moisture under his house.  I said, “Let me guess… he recommended that you hire them to install dehumidifiers.”   He confirmed and  I told him that most pest control company’s realize that the homeowner is not likely to go into the crawl space and it is their technicians that usually report moisture or leaks under a home and that gives the pest control company a lot of leads in a completely different area than their area of expertise…killing bugs and vermin.  They have a captive audience and charge a LOT of money to do it. Installing dehumidifiers is not a service where you can pick up the phone book and look up dehumidifier installation.

He asked me to ballpark the cost to install dehumidifiers under his house.  I told him that for his size home I would install two units that can purchased at any home improvement store and would handle the plumbing to install a drain to the outside.  I explained that an electrician would need to come in to add an electrical outlet for the unit as well and that was about it. The price I gave him was half the estimate given by the pest control company.  Once I gave him my opinion on the cost, I changed the subject to what was causing the water under his home and that he should consider addressing the root cause of the moisture not just the resulting high moisture levels caused by water seeping into his crawlspace.

[su_note note_color=”#86858f” text_color=”#1811ed”]There are three key things you can do to “prevent” moisture in your crawl space- besides just remove it once it’s already there:[/su_note]

1-If you are building a home especially in an area that does not drain well insist that the contractor add sand inside of the foundation so that the ground level inside the foundation is higher than the ground level on the outside of the home.  Ideally the sand or ground inside the foundation should be higher than the flower beds created outside the foundation.  The external grade should have a negative slope away from the foundation meeting building code regulations.

2-Install a moisture barrier – minimum of 6 mil polyethylene vapor retarder –  Below is the current building code requirement approved in March of 2013, however homes built several years ago may not have moisture barriers, have a barrier that is less than 6 mil or not have full moisture barrier coverage.

R408.2 Ground vapor retarder.

When required by Section R408.1.1 Exception, a A minimum 6-mil (0 15 mm) polyethylene vapor retarder or equivalent shall be installed to nominally cover all exposed earth in the crawl space with joints lapped not less than 12 inches (305 mm). Where there is no evidence that the ground water table can rise to within 6 inches (152 mm) of the floor of the crawl space it is acceptable to puncture the ground vapor retarder at low spots to prevent water puddles from forming on top of the vapor retarder due to condensation. Crawl space drains shall be kept separate from roof gutter drain systems and foundation perimeter drains.

The effective date is June 1, 2013

3- Properly installed gutters, downspouts and leader pipes – If your yard is negatively sloped away from the house at least six inches within first 10 feet and the foundation is still damp or wet then adding gutters is essential.  Gutters handle the water coming off the roof and when installed properly then the water is directed away from the foundation.

Rainwater must be diverted away from the building foundation and gutters and downspouts are a key tool in preventing foundation problems.  Without gutters the amount of water that is dumped onto your foundation can cause foundation wall failure or cracked foundation and wall joints not to mention mold and mildew.

Back to my homeowner story….  I told him that he could install dehumidifiers under his home but even the best dehumidifier may not work effectively if too much outside moisture seeps into the crawlspace.  I suggested as a first preventive step to install gutters and ensure the crawlspace had a proper moisture barrier.  Then if that does not remedy the moisture level he should pursue a dehumidifier.

The homeowner felt my recommendation made sense and he said that the pest control technician never mentioned how to prevent the moisture from accumulating under the house just how to remove it.  He said he would rather prevent the problem so he asked me to install gutters and downspouts with extensions on his home.

For those of you who have gutters you should check to make sure the gutters aren’t clogged and that downspouts are directing rainwater at least 3 feet away from the house. Grade your property so that rainwater flows away from the foundation. Other ideas to remove moisture in your home are: keep the duct for your clothes dryer properly vented to the outside, make sure that it isn’t clogged or leaking, run an exhaust fan or open a window when showering, and squeegee or wipe down shower walls afterward. When cooking, use a range hood or exhaust fan that vents outdoors.

It makes me feel good when I am able to help a homeowner prevent future problems.  If I can do the same for you just give me a call.

I’ve said before that your home is probably one of the largest investments you will ever make so the best advice I can give you is take your time, do your research and don’t let the excitement of starting to build a new home cause you to skip any of the important steps that need to be taken before you actually sign on the dotted line for anything.  There is  debate over whether you pick the house plan design first or the land first and that may differ based on your personal situation.  In some cases the land is already yours or inherited or you have loved this house plan for years and are just waiting for the right time to build your dream home.  This post addresses the things you should consider when you are looking for the perfect piece of land whether that be a half acre lot in a subdivision or 5 acres in the country.

Personal and Family Considerations

Are school districts important to you and for resaleHow long of a commute are you willing to make to work?

How critical is it to have shopping or grocery stores nearby?

Are you looking for a neighborhood full of playmates for your kids, a more mature neighborhood, or a rural setting?

Do you enjoy yard work and gardening or are you looking for limited yard maintenance?

Is this your forever home or an interim step?

Area and Land Considerations

How noisy is the area? Traffic – Airport- Railroad – Public address systems

Has the soil been tested and is the land stable?  Drainage – Hazardous Materials – Termites – Runoff

What do the Realtors say about the area?

Public water and sewer or well and septic tank?

Is there planned growth or changes in the area?

Regulations, Codes and Zoning

What is the zoning for this area and surrounding land?

Are you comfortable with the building codes and any covenants?

What are the easements?

Are public utilities available?  Cable – Internet connectivity

What is the tax rate?

I’m sure you agree there’s a lot to consider when deciding where to build a home.  Once you’ve given the above items some thought you should give me a call to discuss next steps in building that home you’ve been thinking about.

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when you start planning to build a home is what type of foundation to build.  Factors such as type of house planned, local climate, groundwater conditions and soil type need to be taken into consideration as you plan the base for your new home.

My clients often ask what type of foundation is the best.  I explain that there are predominately three types used in this area and I’ll describe each below:

Crawl Space– A crawl space foundation leaves an open vented area under the house between the floor joists and the ground. Most are made of cinder block with a brick facing and have separate concrete block piers that support concentrated loads within the area.  The crawl space provides  convenient access to pipes and substructures.  Building code requires a minimum of 6 millimeter polyethylene vapor barrier to cover the ground and reduce moisture.

Slab -The slab is one of the easiest foundations to build. It is a flat pad consisting of several inches of concrete poured directly on top of sand on the ground. It takes very little site preparation, very little form work for the concrete and less masonry labor for brick and block laying.  The slab must have deep footings under all the perimeter and bearing walls.  In a slab foundation house, some of the heating duct work, plumbing pipes and the electric wires are installed in the concrete.

Conditioned– A conditioned crawl space is a foundation without wall vents that encloses a  heated and/or cooled space that is fully insulated around the exterior walls. Enclosed  conditioned crawl spaces are usually contained by a solid concrete or masonry foundation wall that extends down to footings just below the frost line.  There are no vents to the outside and the area is supplied with a certain amount of heated or cooled air from the HVAC  system.

Another option is a basement but that is not a frequently used foundation in eastern North Carolina.

In my next post I’ll share some of the pros and cons of each type.