You might think the only way to hold down construction costs on a house is to strip all the niceties away, and build a "bare bones" house. You’re partly right - adding lots of expensive goodies to a house can jack the price up quickly. But the real culprits are poor planning and waste. Plan your house a little better and you'll money left over for some bling. … [Read more...]
The 3 Big Things That Have the Most Impact on the Cost of Your New Home
You want the best house you can get, with an interesting, family-friendly layout, an attractive exterior, and nice finishes - without blowing up your budget. But if you get heavily invested (emotionally and financially) in a design before you have a handle on potential costs, you'll end up cutting costs at the very end of the process, resulting in an unsatisfying, … [Read more...]
How to Be Sure You’re Getting a Fair Price on Your New Home or Remodeling Project
A few years ago a gentleman stopped by our house to ask if he could give me a quote on trimming the trees in my yard – a fairly frequent event on my street, which has a lot of older trees. I've lived here long enough to have talked to dozens of tree trimmers. So I pretty much knew what to expect as soon as he pulled in the driveway in his spotless pickup truck. The truck … [Read more...]
Can You Raise the Roof of Your House to Get More Space?
If you think you need more space in your home, you might be thinking about adding to the back, to the side, or maybe even the front if you have room. How about raising the roof and adding a second floor? Or maybe you have an older house with an uncomfortably low ceiling you’d like to make higher. … [Read more...]