Homebuilding Tips

Choosing a builder is a major decision. You already know this if you’ve seen the countless options when you search for a local builder. The company you select will be responsible for creating the home that you will live in for years to come. You want to be sure that you get the right balance of cost, speed, and quality so that the project is completed within budget, on time, and to the standards you expect.

When building a new home, there are a lot of elements you can customize, and many people choose the DIY approach because they think it will save money. However, there are some significant benefits to customizing your home with a builder. Unless you are a professional contractor or have done substantial DIY work on other houses, chances are there is a strong argument for having your builder do most of the work.

Decisions around home buying are a huge deal for most Americans. Consider the fact that total housing costs—including your rent or mortgage, home insurance, interest, and upkeep—will on average eat up about 30 percent of your gross income throughout your lifetime. Clearly, an investment in a new home should be made with eyes wide open.

Trimming the Christmas tree is a holiday highlight for many families. The first step is selecting a tree, and if you are a family that chooses to cut one down, this can be a significant part of the tradition.

In the Pacific Northwest, there are many options for cutting down your own Christmas tree. Follow these tips to make this fun holiday tradition go as smoothly as possible.

Making the decision to build a new custom home is exciting! You get to decide what the house looks like, add features that support your lifestyle, and create a home that matches your family’s needs. Selecting a custom homebuilder is one of the first steps in the process, but it’s not as simple as walking in the door and choosing a floor plan. There are a lot of factors to consider as you dive into the process. In order to make the most of your time, prepare in advance with these tips:

If you have decided that it’s time to upgrade to a home with more space, you might be weighing the options of adding an addition to your current home, purchasing an existing home that you can renovate, or building a new custom home. Many people opt for the renovation option, because it feels easier. Renovating an existing home must be a simpler process than building a new one, right? Not necessarily. In fact, there are several reasons why building a new custom home can actually be a smarter decision than renovating.

When you envision your ideal home, you may picture it on a couple acres overlooking a quiet bay or on a quiet property nestled at the base of a mountain ridge or on a large plot on the outskirts of a fast-growing city. No matter where you picture your perfect home, choosing a custom builder can help you ensure that you end up on your dream land. But you may be asking yourself a common question: Do I need to own the land before I find a custom home builder?

Building a custom home is unlike any other experience. You get to make your dream home a reality, with precisely the location, floor plan, and features you’ve always wanted in a house.

Building a custom home is a surefire way to wind up with exactly what you want, from the location to the floor plan, the finishes, and those special features you’ve always dreamed of. But many home buyers worry that choosing the custom route will blow their budget. After all, isn’t customizing a home much more expensive than selecting a production house?

This weekend 2016 will slip into memory and we’ll start 2017 fresh. If all the holiday cookies are making your belt feel a little tighter or you realize that all that merriment has gone straight to your hips (we’re with you) you might be tempted to make a few New Year’s Resolutions. You know, those dreaded promises we make to ourselves every year, only to abandon them within weeks, days, or even hours of toasting in the new year?