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The first step to getting real value from these sites is to understand their strengths and weaknesses Many of our custom home clients love photo-sharing sites like Pinterest, and those sites can be a big help when searching for design and product ideas. However, they can also lead to frustration and disappointment. The result you … Read more

Resilient design is a hallmark of a quality custom home. A growing topic of discussion among builders in recent years has been resilience. Homes designed and built for resilience will weather all but the most extreme environmental conditions and will remain livable during power outages. They offer homeowners true shelter and peace of mind. The … Read more

The answer will have an impact on the selections you make and the final home cost. Potential clients often ask for our homes’ average cost per square foot. The question is understandable. Price per square foot is a metric the real estate industry uses to gauge the competitiveness of resale homes, and homebuyers have internalized … Read more

The low-bid, budget company may cost more in the long run. Here’s why: Does your builder have the size and—more importantly—the management systems needed to handle a custom home project? If not, the final cost in dollars and frustration may be more than you bargained for. There are innumerable ‘horror stories’ on the Internet about … Read more

How professional builders create a healthy indoor environment. If you have concerns about how healthy your new home will be, you’re not alone. In a 2021 survey of 551 American homeowners commissioned by York (a manufacturer of home heating and cooling systems) 62% of respondents said their home’s indoor air quality needed improvement. And in … Read more

You can get more for your money by not starting with that question Whether it’s a $7 million custom home or a $70,000 kitchen remodel, no one wants to pay more than they have to. So it’s no surprise that the first question many people have for their architect, interior designer or builder is about … Read more

The best custom builders understand that service is as important as product. When choosing someone to build your new custom home, there’s a truth that you ignore at your peril: your ultimate satisfaction has as much to do with your day-to-day experience of the project as with the final result. This is very different than … Read more

This important team member helps create safe, comfortable spaces that are perfectly tailored to your needs. Homeowners sometimes ask what, exactly, interior designers bring to the table. It’s a valid question. You’ve lived in homes all your life and know what you like, so choosing products, colors and layouts shouldn’t be complicated, right? The answer … Read more

Change orders have always led to budget increases and schedule delays, and it’s not getting any better. With inflation showing up in the news and at the grocery store, some homeowners are asking what they can do to keep construction costs from escalating. Part of the answer is to choose the features and products you … Read more

Price chaos for materials has made budgeting more complicated. Here’s what you need to know. Most people are familiar with allowances—a way to let homeowners create firm budgets for items that haven’t been specified at the time of contract signing. For instance, if the homeowners and kitchen designer concluded that $30,000 would support the quality … Read more