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Tips for Building Your Home

admin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:23:19 +0000

Building Your New Home

Tips From A Pro

A builder may pour the foundation and raise the roof, but only you can make your new house a home. A seasoned architect offers tips to help you avoid costly and heartbreaking mistakes. Your new house is an exciting, and mind-boggling experience for you; it is routine for the builder (“been there- done that”). These attitudes often tend to clash. Building your new house should not (and cannot) be a passive exercise. A myriad of decisions have to be made, by you. Where you are unable, or unwilling to make decisions, you will force the builder to make them. To make sure your new home fulfills your own vision, follow these guidelines:

Understand Your Contract

You will party to a contract involving a massive amount of money when you sign on the dotted line for the construction of your new house. By so doing, you abdicate NONE of your basic legal rights; therefore, know them, and exercise them!
Start by reading the contract and understanding it. You are paying (or will pay over the next 25-30 years) for the knowledge of the builders — their experience and ability. PLUS you are paying your builders a profit above their expenses. What do you expect in return? How do ensure that you get what you expect?
COMMUNICATE – WRITE IT DOWN – COMMUNICATE- WRITE IT DOWN – COMMUNICATE – WRITE IT DOWN. Anything you add to the house after the contract is signed, the builder will keep track of — assiduously! Anything you delete or reduce, YOU keep track of — assiduously!

Save on Building Costs

Keep costs in perspective; $10 a thousand more for brick you like better translates into only $100 more when 10,000 bricks (a typical amount) are involved.
The average house contains approximately 1,500 to 2,000 square feet; do you need more? Why? How much more?
Take care that glitz and gadgets (suggested by friends, the builder, or magazines) do not overwhelm good basic construction– don’t trade them for lesser construction. Bouncy floors (where joists are stretched to the maximum) are not remedied by a hot tub, flocked wall covering, skylights, or jazzy door hardware.
You pay for each and every square foot of space in your house, be it occupied, usable, or otherwise. If the cost is $50, $85, or $110 per square foot, “extra”, unused, vacant and unnecessary area is provided at the very same cost.

Check Building Codes

Don’t expect to control the number of nails used. Do expect a substantially built house, free of defects, and in accord with all applicable codes and regulations. Require proof of such compliance (many jurisdictions issue Certificates of Occupancy) at the closing of your mortgage. This indicates accord with the MINIMUM code and safety standards.
Realize that some things are virtually unchangeable; they should be done properly, first off. This includes a properly sized and constructed foundation system, a properly designed and installed structural system, etc. Changeable items such as finishes, coverings, etc., should not distract you from watching for and requiring good basic construction.
Watch for things that are not necessarily what you want and that you will not be able to change easily or cheaply. Question things that just don’t look or seem right. Most of the time they are NOT right!
Seek some reliable outside, impartial advice — other than your father (even if he is a builder!).

Be Flexible

Be ready and prepared to resolve situations and problems by compromising. Be aware, however, of what you may be giving up in this process — examine and understand both sides. IS the situation worth what you are losing?
The builder is fully capable of doing anything (or can find someone who can) you wish; BUT, this all will come with a price — so be careful and wary of unique, inordinate, or far-out requests, new technology, and untested materials and equipment.
Understand that construction is an imperfect science. This combined with natural elements (site conditions, weather, wood members, human foibles) means that things could change, must be changed, or simply exceed capabilities.
Flat-out errors do happen. Absolute perfection or your idea of perfection may not (and more than likely, will not) be achieved. Drastic imperfections, however, can be corrected, and they should be. It is within your rights to require this.

Keep Records

Things not clearly and specifically noted, written, described, or shown will be interpreted, by both sides; there must be a meeting of minds where interpretations are fully understood and resolved. When this does not happen, expect dispute, confrontation, pique, anger, frustration, and perhaps even litigation.
Be redundant; leave nothing to chance. Follow up verbal discussions and instructions with written verification. Keep records, receipts, record of phone call, all correspondence, samples you approve, sales slips, model/type/style numbers, and the like.
Don’t allow yourself to be reduced to buying any aspect of “a pig in a poke.”
The more time and effort spent up-front in programming, planning, designing, and understanding, as well as in establishing specifics of the project, the better the chance for a smoother construction period and a satisfactory result.

Be Businesslike

Be pragmatic, and absolutely businesslike in all of your dealings with the builders. They are working FOR you; you are not seeking them as new friends.
If a friend or relative performs part of the work, treat them in exactly the same manner — have a contract, demand adherence to your schedule, etc.
Don’t let a gift or a good price disrupt the project overall.

Questions to Ask

Before you hire a builder for your new house, be sure that you can answer each of these important questions.

What is a good design for our needs?
What is a building code? Does it effect us? How does it work? What doesn’t it do?
Who is responsible, overall, for my building project?
What are good sizes and proportions for rooms? What style do I want?
What am I really getting from the builder?
What problems do I have in my current house that I don’t want to repeat?
Where can I find answers and help? How do I make my desires known?
What does that line on the drawing mean?
What is a dispute; a lien?
What are specifications? Does the builder write and provide them?
What if my builder does something in a way I don’t like? Is the house going to be complete; will something be left out?
When will the house be finished?
What is a contract? How do I play a part in it? What does it say?
What is “an extra”?
Is that a good material, I’ve never heard of it?
Can I change things?
Who picks the color of the paint, wall coverings, etc.?
Is landscaping included? Sod? Seed? mud and rocks? Slopes? Are landscape features guaranteed?
What if I disagree with the builder? Can I stop the work?
Am I allowed on the job site? Can I inspect the work as it goes up? Can I bring someone with me?
I really want this ________________in the house — how do I get exactly that?
I can buy the light fixtures from my brother– but who will hang them? What do I do?
Should I close on the mortgage and pay the builder in full? I have several items that I don’t like – must I still close?
Why do we have to make all these trips to pick things out?

Top 10 Remodeler Mistakes

admin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:50:26 +0000

The standard rule with do-it-yourself projects is that the projects will take twice as much time and three times as much money as you thought they would – or maybe it’s three times as long and twice as much money.

Either way, the reason for that is the same. DIYers make mistakes. Lots of them. The good news is that you can learn a lot from mistakes. For example, whatever it was that my husband did to make all the outlets in the kitchen blow at the same time – don’t do that again. The bad news is that mistakes always wind up making your home-improvement project more expensive and more time-consuming than you want it to be.

With that as a given, Bankrate.com asked home-improvement experts for their lists of the top DIY goofs, with advice on how to avoid repeating the errors in the future.

The experts are:

Ed Del Grande, host of the DIY Network’s “Warehouse Warriors” show, as well as other shows and building specials on the network. A master plumber, pipe fitter and fire-sprinkler fitter, Del Grande has more than 20 years of construction experience.
Lou Manfredini, the official Ace Hardware “Helpful Hardware Man.” (You didn’t think it was John Madden, did you?) The home-improvement expert for NBC’s “Today” show, the Chicago-based contractor also answers questions from DIYers on the Ace Hardware Web site.
C.J. Iannuzzi, owner of 3SQFT, a design-build company in Miami Beach, Fla., and home-improvement contractor to the stars, including Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin.
Barbara Kavovit, owner of Barbara K Enterprises. A New York City-based veteran of the construction industry, she now makes and markets DIY tools especially designed for women.

1. Not taking out the required permits. This is a big issue with both Del Grande and Manfredini. Considered a bother at best by many DIYers, permits actually serve a greater purpose than just raising money for the government. “People in permitting offices aren’t evil,” says Manfredini. “They’re there to make sure the job is done right and you don’t hurt yourself.” Plus, for some jobs, such as putting in a wood stove, you need proof of the permit or your insurance carrier won’t cover it. Not sure if your job requires a permit? Del Grande says that the rule of thumb is that you need one for anything larger than painting and wallpapering. It doesn’t hurt to call the building department and ask.

2. Starting a job without the necessary tools and supplies. Nothing slows down a job more than not having all the materials you need. Manfredini says that the reason the pros can do what they do is that they buy quality tools. “There’s always a bargain bin,” he says. “It’s not a wise investment. You lose time and money.”

3. Inadequate preparation of the job site. If you do a small addition, suppliers will be delivering materials. You don’t want them out of order or exposed to the weather while you are working, Del Grande says. Beware: They could be stolen if they’re not properly stored. (If you have a septic tank, make sure you know where it is. If a supplier delivering materials in a heavy truck drives over it, you could be looking at a cracked tank. Yuck.)

4. Skimping on materials. Kavovit says she often sees DIYers use 1/4-inch drywall for building walls. You need to use at least 5/8-inch; 3/4-inch works well for a good sound barrier. The same rule applies to plywood for subfloors. Go with 3/4-inch. It creates a much stronger floor, especially if you’re installing wood floors over them.

5. Using the wrong paint. One of the biggest DIY projects around, painting can make a place look great. Manfredini says flat paint should only be used for ceilings. Interior paints should have at least an eggshell or satin finish so you can scrub it. On outdoor decks, “sun and rain tear the heck out of the wood,” he says. Clear sealers don’t block the UV rays, and they peel. Use a linseed-oil-based stain; it drives the pigment into the wood and preserves it.

6. Improper preparation of walls for painting. A good, quality paint job is 90% preparation, Manfredini says. Clean the walls, sand them and patch any holes before you paint. Iannuzzi recommends a coat of primer or stain blocker if you’re trying to cover over oil-based paint, stains or peeling paint, or if you’re painting a lighter color over a darker color.

7. Unsafe job conditions. Nothing diminishes your return on investment like a trip to the emergency room. Wear safety goggles when using power tools or working with drywall or wood, wear hard hats when you’re working under other people on scaffolding, and open some windows when you’re painting or staining, or stripping old finishes off of floors or walls, Del Grande says. Iannuzzi cautions against wearing loose, hanging clothing, especially when using power tools. Wear gloves when carrying wood, metal and rock, or when hammering, and wear a nail or tool pouch to prevent damage to your floors and more important, the feet of people and pets.

8. Inaccuracy. Iannuzzi lives by the rule: Measure twice, cut once. It’s so important for things like building walls, hanging drywall or cutting baseboards, counter tops or pipe. If you’re going to err, err on the side of too long. You can always make something shorter; you can’t make it longer. Spackle can cover up to a 1/8-inch seam, Iannuzzi says; if it’s a 1/4 of an inch, the seam will pop the spackle and show.

9. Working beyond your limits. Everybody has them. Del Grande won’t work on a roof; yours might be plumbing or electrical work. Don’t stand on the top steps of ladders, and don’t try to work beyond your reach. Ladder accidents send more than 164,000 people to the emergency room every year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

10. Failure to get a clue. You don’t want to start to learn how to do a project on your own house. If you have a friend who is a contractor or an experienced DIYer, offer your assistance on one of his projects so you can learn. No one will turn away free labor. If you need to remove a supporting wall, have an engineer look at it to see what kind of beam you need to replace it. “If you have a saw in your hand and have a question about what you’re doing,” Del Grande says, “stop. Follow that little voice in your head.”

Story by: MSN Real Estate