Homebuilding Tips

Every few months, a new high-profile news piece will declare a startling statistic about Millenials and homebuying. The message often repeats itself. “They can’t afford to own a home.” “They only want to live in the city.” “They don’t like the idea of being tied down by a mortgage.”

A home warranty gives you the peace of mind that if your home has structural issues within a certain period of time, you will be covered financially. For example, soil settling can cause structural distress to a load-bearing element such as the foundation, floor framing, or columns. This is the type of event that is totally out of the builder’s control, but if you have a home warranty, you won’t have to pay out of pocket to cover the repair costs if something like this happens to you. A home warranty also typically covers defects in materials and systems for a certain period of time.

Building a new home can be one of the most exciting times in a homeowner’s life. This is your opportunity to design the home of your dreams, with all the features and finishes you have always wanted. However, it’s also important to think beyond the home’s first residents—you and your family—and ensure its attractiveness for future buyers.

Of course, you want to build a home that you will truly love, one that will work for your lifestyle. But how do you also ensure its strong resale value in five, 10, or 20 years down the road?

Since the advent of websites like Zillow and RedFin, you might suspect that fewer homebuyers are using Realtors to find and purchase their homes. However, research shows that nearly 90 percent of all buyers still partner with a real estate agent—proof that even in our digital age, Realtors are extremely valuable to individuals looking for their next home.

For homeowners in every price bracket and throughout all 50 states, there’s one thing that is always at the back of your mind: building equity. We all want to maximize our ownership in a home, as quickly and easily as possible. After all, the greater your equity, the better your position for selling or refinancing the home. So what is the best approach for increasing your home’s equity?

For homeowners who enjoy a bit of gardening, landscaping can be one of the most exciting parts of building a custom home.

Building a custom home isn’t just a chance for you and your family to upgrade to the house of your dreams. It’s also a solid investment. With just a bit of planning, you can ensure that your home will continue to gain value over the years. And down the road, when it comes time to sell your custom home, you’ll be in a great position to make a strong return on investment (ROI).

One of the many advantages of deciding to build instead of buy is that you have the opportunity to live in an energy-efficient home. Older homes come in various levels of quality, and unless it was originally designed with efficiency in mind, upgrading an existing home can be quite costly. Building science has come a long way in recent decades and many “green” building techniques are now becoming standard practices. New homes that are built with the environment in mind don’t necessarily have to cost a lot more, and they always cost less to operate because they use less energy.  

We get it. This is probably not the week when designing and building a custom home is at the top of your to-do list. After all, there are gifts to buy, turkeys to roast, parties to host, merriment to be had. As a custom home builder for more than four decades, we’re completely on board with that. After all, making memories with family and friends is what home is all about!

Do you work from home and yearn for a home office that’s worth the (lack of) commute?