New Construction Upgrades: Where to spend you money

I recently came across a question asked on MyHomeImprovement.Com that I thought was not only interesting and familiar, but answered somewhat incorrectly in my opinion. They have a disclaimer stating that in no way do they insure the accuracy of their answers, but I felt that a little explanation to set the record straight is in order.

Question:
We are going to have a house built in the next year. In what areas of the build would you recommend paying for upgrades? I have heard everything from the cabinets to the linoleum. Which ones will supply the best return/enjoyment for our money?

Their Answer:


Cabinets and counter tops in both the kitchen and bath. Second choice would be floor coverings.





Now I agree to some extent that kitchen and bath are areas where upgrades are the most enjoyable, but upgrades in these two areas are very expensive so as far as the best return they are wrong. You can get a fantastic kitchen and bath without too many costly upgrades. Floor coverings are another partially wrong answer for the same basic principles as the kitchen and bath explanation. The area where you will see the best return for your money and enjoyment are in areas somewhat beyond aesthetics.

Windows:

• Ensure the lowest heat loss/gains


• Consider vinyl for low maintenence


• Are they Energy Star certified


• Upgrade to Argon gas filled glass


• Consider tints, glazes, etc. depending on the region you live in

Exterior Doors

• Upgrade to maintenance-free Aluminum Clad Jambs


• Upgrade to the most energy efficient sill, jamb, and weatherstripping

Floors

• Upgrade to radiant in-floor heat

Deck

• Upgrade to composite decking material (never stain, paint, or get slivers in your feet again!)

These are just a few great examples on areas where you can save money down the line as well as headaches in home maintenance. Rather than spend extra money up front on things that, although may be pleasureable, save you nothing in the long run; upgrade wisely for your future, and your family's future.

Real Estate Agent Contractors: Helping or Hurting the Industry?

An increasing trend in the housing market is the crossing of many real estate agents and firms into the field of General Contracting. They continue to dig deeper into the housing industry. They once only handled the initial sale of property and the sale of a finished product. As time went by, they saw that they could steal that middle ground away from real contractors. Now, many agents and firms handle the general contracting and subcontract out the work to the men and women who do the actual work. Their knowledge is limited, but they depend on the real contractors to fill in the blanks of their shortcomings. The first problem in this situation is the amount of overbuilding they do as they try to maximize production output. I am not claiming that there are not traditional contractors that do the same, but for the most part a carpenter only goes out on a limb with one uncontracted spec home to fill the space between contract homes. Another problem is that not only have these agents/ firms stolen this job from the people doing the actual work, but they make them fight for the subcontracting jobs by pricing them against eachother until they are getting the cheapest price for the job. I have heard the argument that they are trying to keep the costs down, however they are sacrificing not only the lives of the gifted carpenters who aren't willing to undercut their trade, but the quality of the homes as well. You get what you pay for, and they only pay bottom dollar. I have seen too many good carpenters losing jobs to the real estate general contractor with the Amish crew making next to nothing. What message are we sending to our fellow citizens? Have we really become this cutthroat of a society that we will sacrifice people, careers, quality for a few thousand dollars on a $300,000 home? The banks are the real culprits behind the economic slump, but the real estate firms, evolved into general contractors, are the culprits behind a multitude of the housing market problems. Let's give the job of building our homes back to the actual home builder.

Spray Foam Insulation: Superior R-Value at a price

Spray Foam Insulation: Worth the Price?

• In a time of economic uncertainty, any additional cost to a home project in under heavy scrutiny. The benefits of spray-foam insulation are undeniable: superior R-value, no insulation settling over time, no pockets or voids, and a tight wall cavity for extra efficiency. At a cost that is at times twice or even three times more expensive than traditional insulating methods, many homeowners are faced with deciding if the benefits outweigh the costs.

Benefits:

• Stops air and moisture infiltration.
• Drastically reduces energy costs (especially in remodeling of older homes.)
• Increases strength of the structure by solidifying wall cavities.
• Does not sag over time like traditional insulation products and methods.
• Immensely reduces, if not eliminates, dust and pollen infiltration.
• Reduces capcity requirements, wear, and maintenance of HVAC equipment.
• Installer is required to be certified, you are guaranteed a professional result.
• If you choose soy-based foam, you are being extra green in your project.

Drawbacks:

• Costs around twice as much as traditional methods and materials.
• Limited supply for installers, affects price and availability.
• No flexibility for future remodeling, aftermarket electrical runs, etc. through the sprayed walls.

As you can see, the benefits greatly outnumber the drawbacks; however, if we place values on these variables you may still find that initial cost is too great an opportunity cost to overlook. Unfortunately, until the price decreases in the upcoming years, spray-foam insulation will lose a great number of consumers to the initial shock of the price.

Cooper Custom Carpentry: A Family Tradition

I recently had a chance to sit down with Josh Cooper from Cooper Custom Carpentry to discuss some topics regarding the state of the housing market, the current recession, and other important issues that are plaguing the home construction industry.

What is the biggest challenge you are facing as we near the end of the first quarter of 2009?

It has become extremely difficult to get potential customers to commit to starting a project. The bids are out there; in fact I have bid more jobs this year than ever before. The problem is that people don’t know if they will have a job next week, next month, next year. How can they responsibly commit to a new home purchase with that sort of doubt? They have the urge to build; they just can’t get over that hump of pessimism.

What products do you notice gaining popularity recently?

I notice a lot more people requesting options for Cementboard siding. It’s a durable, paintable product with a nice warranty. The biggest thing lately, though, is energy efficient products. More people are trying to be more “green” in their products as well as their carbon footprint. Window ratings to insulation and everything in between; everything is under this new “green consumer microscope.”

How long before you think the housing market bounces back from this recession?

Well, probably not this year. I do think that we will see some slow improvement throughout 2009, but it is going to be a slow climb back to some solid ground. We are just lucky to be in the less volatile Midwest market. Things are bad everywhere, but we aren’t seeing the crash and burn markets like the extreme West and East coast markets.

What’s your favorite part of your job as a contractor?

I like building, plain and simple. Carpentry is in my blood. My father, my grandfather, my uncles, and many other family members all made their living working in the trades. There is a tradition of building that I grew up around. We used to pickup scraps on the jobsite not long after we learned to walk. We used to play in the dirt piles while our family worked. I can’t remember one year that didn’t have a jobsite involved in it.

Well thank you for your valuable time and insight, I wish you luck in the coming years.

Thanks for having me.

If you have a project that you would like to contact Josh Cooper from Cooper Custom Carpentry for your next project please feel free to send an email.

Green Building: Construction Fad or Future?

As we forge ahead into the future of the construction industry, the emergence of advancing green technologies continues to blossom into an undeniable force in the industry. Is the green boom just another building trend, or is this the evolution of the building industry?

• With the ever-changing building codes, new standards are emerging every year. Tighter standards on energy efficiency are one of the driving forces of the green push.


• Rising Energy costs are making the need for tighter houses more important to residents' annual budgets.


• The information that continues to emerge regarding our environmental issues are going to be a major part of people's demand for green technologies and products, many of which are indirectly or directly linked to the building industry.


• As more people buy into green products, the products will become more affordable, which will in turn make the products more accessible to a greater number of households.


• Tax credits for energy efficiency and certain products are making it hard not to go green.


• Building green is our responsibility. People are finally realizing that their actions in this life affect the lives of their children and grandchildren and are begining to act accordingly. This will only continue to push the green boom.