design phase

The most difficult part of building a new home can be just getting started. This is the third part of a series on how to get started with your new home project. You have come up with stock plans you like, or have a good idea of your floorplan. The next step is to get plans that are in your budget. We have people who have spent a lot of time and money on their plans without our input. Then we price it out, and it is way over their budget. They have to spend more money changing the plans, or worse, trashing those plans and starting over. Getting help early on is critical to make sure your plans and budget are going to come together. We like to work with you and the architect during the design phase so that everything is coming together properly. If you are purchasing a stock plan, we can offer input on changes (almost everyone makes some changes, that is what a custom home is about). We will then provide a rough cost analysis. This ballpark estimate provides a good idea of what it will cost to build that plan. That way you have the information needed to decide if that plan is going to work. If it is too high, then you know to look for smaller plans before purchasing them. If you have more room in the budget, then it can be expanded, or you can add to your selection budget. If you are having the plans drawn, we can provide input during the design. We have been doing this a long time, and have a lot of experience in what works and what should be avoided. Ballparks can be done on the sketches and drafts. That way you know that the plans are working within your budget during the entire design process. This allows you to make intelligent decisions, and saves you money at the plan stage.

The most difficult part of building a new home can be just getting started. This is the second part of a series on how to get started with your new home project. You have come up with some basic requirements on what you want in your plans. What is the next step? It is to start working on plans. There are two basic ways to get your plans. One is to purchase a stock plan from an architect or clearing house, the other is to have them drawn. It is very rare that someone finds the exact stock plan that works, but changes can be made. The original architect can make the changes, or many times, a local architect can purchase the plan from the original architect and make changes. That way if the original architect is in another part of the country, you can still meet with someone locally. Plus, the local materials and codes will be considered. The other method is to have the plans drawn by a designer or architect. This allows you to have an original plan, and it is designed specifically for your lifestyle. Sometimes the lot will dictate the plan, which may require a new draw. A new draw may be the more expensive option, but not always. This is what we are here to help with. Helping you decide if changing a stock plan or if an original design will work better for you. Next time, how to consider the size and options for a plan while staying in budget.

Lot Issues

If you are looking for a lot, I am sure you have noticed that lots are getting more and more difficult to find. The lots closer in typically have topography, tree, or other issues. They would already have a house on them it they were an easy build. The left over lots can usually be developed, it just may be more expensive and take more thought during the design process. Most of the local municipalities have tree regulations, so check to make sure you know what they are. If there is a large tree in the middle of the lot, you may be severely limited in what you can build. It will depend on the size and location of the tree. If you are in Austin, development regulations change depending on the location. The size of home allowed, height of the house, and even location on the lot can be restricted. Be sure you understand the regulations for that specific location before purchasing. We are about to start a house in the Austin city limits that has a large slope from the street, fill dirt, and a heritage tree. The slope determined the location and slab height of the house, plus defined the location and length of the driveway. The fill required piers for the foundation, and we obtained a tree permit to remove the tree. It is almost dead, so it was not a problem. Had it been in good shape, the driveway would have to have changed, and the house probably flipped to make it work. It helps to get input from people who have experience working on this type of project. We are glad to meet with you at a lot to discuss options and issues.

Lumber Costs Going Up

We are members of a buyers coop to help keep our costs down. Through the coop, we can track lumber pricing. One thing to note is that lumber costs have jumped big time over the past year. Local lumber costs have risen approximately 5% over the past month, and have increased 33% from March 2012 to March 2013. It seems lumber companies are trying to get their pricing back up to where it was before the recession. Hopefully the cost increases will slow down, but I doubt they will go lower. If you are thinking about building, now would be a good time to start.

You are invited to our Block Party April 30th from 10am to 2pm. We are hosting it with our neighboring businesses, Lane 4 Swim Shop, Inspire Fitness and Hill Country Climatized Storage. There will be food and entertainment, plus some great prizes!

While you are here, you are invited to visit our office to see what our UBuildIt program is all about. We can also discuss using our Lantana Homes side, and the differences between the two. Whether it is a remodel or new construction we would like to show you how we can help.

We will have various displays for viewing that will pertain to green building and increasing energy efficiency. So feel free to drop by, grab something to eat, and check us out.

At the bottom?

Bad news for people waiting for the bottom to build. Costs are going up. We are a member of a buyer’s coop that provides purchasing power to help lower our construction costs. I reviewed the lumber comparisons, and lumber costs have risen locally around 7.3% over the past 12 months. This was a comparison from January 2010 to January 2011. One of our foundation subs said that steel went up 10% at the beginning of this month, and is expected to go up another 10% at the beginning of February. Copper has been climbing, which affects everything from plumbing to AC equipment. Gas/diesel price increases impacts transportation and delivery costs. Some of the subcontractors were not passing through all of the cost increases because it was slow. However, things are picking up, and the cost increases for materials is getting too high to cover them with out passing them through. I would expect costs to continue to rise. The amount of the increase will depend on the local and world economy, so I am not about to guess on that one.

Getting Started

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.