September 24, 2024 3:42 pmPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on The Homeowner’s Role in the Building Process
Partnering with Your Builder for the Best Results Homebuilding has evolved significantly over the last century, particularly since the post-World War II housing boom of the 1950s. What was once a hands-on craft has transformed into a complex, systematized process involving many materials, methods, and regulations. With so many moving parts, it’s easy for homeowners to feel... Read More
August 27, 2024 2:56 pmPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on Completing the Punch List
How the best homebuilders ensure homeowner satisfaction Have you heard of a “punch list”? This is construction industry jargon for a checklist of things that must be completed, repaired, or replaced. It’s a quick and easy reference to the status of the work, as well as a useful way to communicate with our trade partners... Read More
July 17, 2024 3:19 amPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on Quality Is No Accident
The best companies build quality assurance systems into their practice. What separates great builders from good ones? Many things do, but part of the answer is that great builders are obsessive about small details. And taken together, those small details leave a big impression. Most builders truly want to do good work for their customers.... Read More
June 19, 2024 9:37 amPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on How to Use Online Reviews
Trust? Maybe. Verify? Always. It’s an old story and, unfortunately, still relevant today—in September 2011, Business Week reported on a Texas home improvement contractor who hired a writer to post 200 positive reviews on sites like Yelp and Google. The article went on to cite other examples and estimated the percentage of fake online reviews at close to... Read More
May 21, 2024 10:43 amPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on Making Sense of Allowances
For best results, narrow down the options up front Allowances—that is, budgeting general costs for items before the specific items are chosen—are a fact of life on many projects. Some homeowners have trouble making decisions before work begins, most commonly for appliances, cabinets, floor coverings, and plumbing and electrical fixtures. In those cases, the builder... Read More
April 19, 2024 12:16 pmPublished by Jada PorterComments Off on Built for Success
Quality homes and satisfied customers don’t happen by accident. The best home builders have systems to ensure those outcomes. If you have a complete set of construction documents, including accurate blueprints and product descriptions, then material and labor costs shouldn’t vary much between equivalent professional builders. Most of the price difference will rest with the... Read More
