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Showing posts from March, 2023

Simplify floor planning: Whose House is this?

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Unlimited budget?  Unlimited space to build? I didn't think so!  So how can you organize and simplify your wish list into a meaningful guide that leads to a great house design?  Start with these questions to clarify and condense your needs, wants, must-haves and nice-to-haves. 1) What's my lot type? Understanding the lot type will drastically reduce the extent of your search. The typical types are: Walk out, walk up, and patio. Find out more  here .  Also check out the description of the  main story .  2) What’s my budget?  In some ways this is one of the most important questions to figure out. This will help establish parameters such as size, complexity and level of finishing for your house. You can read more about budget  in this post. 3) Who’s living here/ What phase of life am I at?   A family in the middle of raising kids will have different needs than a retired couple who frequently travel.  4) How many bedrooms and ...

Timeline and Process - Construction Documents in Hand!

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The obvious goal is to start building, but there are a few more steps.  You need a Builder, and a Budget and a Building Permit.   Builder We encourage builder engagement as early as possible to make the transition from design to construction smooth.  On the other hand, maybe you're still considering the options and want a couple of builders to look at the documents before moving forward. Both paths are acceptable and have their own benefits.  In both cases the next step is to provide your builder with the Construction Documents. With them they will start the  tendering  process and begin assembling the required papers for permits. Budgeting Any of the ballpark pricing up to this point will now be developed into a working budget. In practice, every consultant, trade and supplier will now review the drawings and will submit quotes back to your builder.  Is there more to it than that? Yep!   Because your house is made up of many parts, assembled by m...

Timeline and Process - The Design Side!

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What needs to happen  between “the decision to build” and “shovel in the ground”? This a two part post, because You're obviously interested in the design timeline, but   also when you can start building.    The first post will cover the design phase "the decision to build" and the second post will cover most of the downstream activities up to "shovel in the ground".  After you understand the process, we’ll go over common timelines. If you’re really in a hurry, you can always scroll to the bottom.      A couple notes:  1) We'll assume you will be selecting a Pre-Designed plan, as the custom process is a lot longer and will need its own explanation.  2) You'll notice a lot of links to other pages. These links will give you a deeper view of each step.      Here we go!  1. You have a beautiful lot and know the house type you’ll be building. 2. You've narrowed down your wish list to the top 100 must-haves...