The most difficult part of building a new home can be just getting started. How to find plans or have them drawn, making sure the cost to build that plan meets your budget, and just making sure there are no issues with the plans. We will provide a series in the next few posts on how to get started.
The first step is to get a conceptual idea of what you want to build by considering how the home will fit your lifestyle. Do you want more formal areas for smaller social gatherings, or larger open areas for larger groups? Do you want the kitchen to be a room built for interaction and a place for the family to gather, or would it be better to keep it hidden from view? The use of rooms and space will help determine the size and rooms needed. Do you actually use the dining room, or would a larger breakfast room work just as well? Are you working from home, requiring a space for a study? There are many things to consider. Look at your lifestyle, and decide what rooms you actually use in your current home. Look at your friends’ homes to see what you like or dislike. What catches your eye in home and garden magazines? This gives you an idea of your needs when deciding on house plans. We are here to discuss these important items with you to help you come up with the plan that will work best for you and your family.
The next post will be on how to get plans done.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
2010 building trends
Now that we are into February, I figured it was time to provide a few insights for this year. These are based on what I am seeing and reading about in the home building industry.
• There were predictions that the demand for large homes was dead. I would define a large home as one above 4,000 square feet. I have seen several people coming in wanting to build a larger home, so the demand is returning, although at a slower rate.
• Lumber prices will increase. Lumber companies have shut down mills to help survive the downturn. Thus, there is less supply, and less production capacity. As the demand for lumber increases again, there will be a limited supply, which increases costs. We have already seen prices start to increase, and it will not get better in the short term.
• Interest rates will increase. The Feds are starting to wind down their support of the mortgage markets. Interest rates are expected to increase as they pull their involvement.
Hopefully these increases will not be rapid, but they are expected to be a factor in the costs of building and owning a home. So now is a good time to get going because it is past the bottom of the market.
• There were predictions that the demand for large homes was dead. I would define a large home as one above 4,000 square feet. I have seen several people coming in wanting to build a larger home, so the demand is returning, although at a slower rate.
• Lumber prices will increase. Lumber companies have shut down mills to help survive the downturn. Thus, there is less supply, and less production capacity. As the demand for lumber increases again, there will be a limited supply, which increases costs. We have already seen prices start to increase, and it will not get better in the short term.
• Interest rates will increase. The Feds are starting to wind down their support of the mortgage markets. Interest rates are expected to increase as they pull their involvement.
Hopefully these increases will not be rapid, but they are expected to be a factor in the costs of building and owning a home. So now is a good time to get going because it is past the bottom of the market.
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