Posted by Rick Merlini on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 10:23 AM
New Homes And A Better Way To Save On Your Utilities Bills
In the olds days, builders where told to add more R-Values to a new home to save money on the utilities bills. Well, now scientists have figured out that the single greatest impact on saving money on your bills is not only R-Values but to eliminated air leaks.
The theory is the better you seal the overcoat of a new home, the less heat or cooling loss will occur. In other words, stop air leakage into the new home and keep the air that you have paid to either heat or cool inside the new home.
So , what you need to do to save money is to caulk every gap and opening that you have at the rough frame stage, than come back after drywall and caulk around every crack and opening a second time. Scientists have estimated that an average new home has about 400 square inches of gaps in it after rough framing. Those 400 square feet of gaps are equal to having a window open all year. So by sealing all the gaps in your new home is the single most important thing you can do to save money.
Remember that “Greatness is in the details”
Good luck in your search of that new home and if I can help in any manor, please feel free to contact me.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 @ 08:32 AM
Not everyone has the skill set or the personality that is conducive to building a new home. Building a new home can be fun and exciting if you let. But if you don’t, it can be pure misery. So here is my advice to those who are thinking about building that new home.
- You MUST trust your builder. If you have any doubt that he or she may or may not do the right thing, go somewhere else. If you don’t believe in your builder, you will be constantly worrying about things which over the time of the build will take all the excitement out of building that new home.
- Not all of us have the creativity or vision in home decorating which is ok. But if you don’t have those skills, just copy something that you like. Go through home magazines, find something that you like, than just copy it. Problem solved.
- Do your homework.
- Make sure that you are not a Cadillac in a Chev neighborhood. If you are, you will have a hard time selling when it comes time.
- Make sure that the area doesn’t have a lot of vacant homes not sold. Remember your teacher talking about supply and demand that first year of economics? Well that is the best advice I can give anyone thinking about buying that new home.
- Don’t forget about high tech features. Not having high tech features in your home today will just make your new home more out of date when it comes to selling it down the line.
These are just a few things to think about when considering on buy that new home. Good luck with your search and if you have any question , feel free to contact me.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Thu, Dec 29, 2011 @ 07:15 AM
There is no better time to buy a new home in Birmingham than now. Why? It’s simple,
- Interest rates are at an all-time low. They can’t go any lower. With money this cheap, lock in your interest rate and you will save for years to come.
- Here in Birmingham, not only has the housing market bottom. It’s actually been appreciating. Just like buying anything, you want to buy at the markets low point so you can enjoy the appreciating in the future.
- There is a shortage of good quality homes for sale in Birmingham. There is an abundance of older homes that have been neglected over the years that need to be completely remodeled. With many of this homes, remodeling with cost you more in the long run than buying a new home.
- New homes are built with material / commodities. Commodity prices are not going to go down, but in actuality we increase as our economy improves and inflation starts to set in.
With commodity prices increasing, home values increasing and cheap money makes for the perfect time to buy that new home.
Good luck with your new home search, and if you have any questions about purchasing that new home, feel free to contact me.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 08:51 AM
Should I Buy A New House Now or Wait?
I am asked this question at least 3 to 4 times a week by friends and family. With the economy in the condition that it is, there are many understandable fears about making such a large commitment. But if you feel secure about being employed now and in the future, there is no better time to purchase a new home than now.
Here are the reasons you should purchase a new home today
- Interest rate will never get cheaper than they are today. Banks are borrowing money from the Feds at close to zero percent which enable them to loan you money at lower rates. That rate cannot get below zero %. So rate cannot drop any further than they have already.
- Homes are built with things we call commodities/materials. Prices for commodities are not going to dive. They many go up and down in a small range but will not take a dive. For that reason, new home price cannot drop much further than they have already.
- New homes will not depreciate any further because almost all the over built supply of new homes has been flushed out of the market. The new homes market has had its price correction, so further drops in new homes is not likely. Because of these facts is why new home pricing is not going to drop any further but will increase as your market improves.
We all want to buy low and sell high. Well , now is the time to buy low so you can sell high later.
Good luck on your search for that new home. I hope this information helps you. If you have any question about building a new home or buying a new home , feel free to contact me.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Sun, Jul 17, 2011 @ 11:15 AM
How To Choose The Right Builder OR Contractor
I was reading the Sunday Detroit Free Press Real Estate section the other day and the top head line read “Hooking A Winner” 5 do’s and don’ts to use when hiring a contractor for a home project. ( The link is http://www.freep.com/article/20110717/BUSINESS04/107170350/5-do-s-don-ts-use-when-hiring-contractor ). As I was reading it I thought to myself that the writer of the article had some good basic knowledge on what to do BUT did not have the complete picture. So here is my attempt to complete the picture.
- Research pays off, But remember who the expert is. I agree with her for the most part about acquiring some basic knowledge of the project. The tactic I think she is missing is this. With the bids you receive from your prospective contractors, ask them for specific details of the materials and processes they are going to use to complete your project. Once you have this information, do your research on the material and processes they believe in. This should tell you how competent the contractor is.
- Get completive bids , But don’t take the lowest bid. She is absolute correct here. Our purchasing agent is taught to throw out the lowest and highest bids. Try to find the real price for the job. When you have 2 or 3 bids that are within 1 to 2% of each other. That is usually the real price. In other words , use the Bell Curve process to determine the fair pricing.
- Negotiate for the best price, But don’t undervalue your contractor. Again she is absolutely correct here. The only thing I would like to add is put yourself in the contractor’s shoes. There is a point where the job is not worth doing any more and either you are going to find ways to cut labor or cut material to do the job. You do not want either. You just want a quality job completed at a fair price. You do get what you pay for.
- Insist on a contract and understand the terms. 100% correct. Remember this “Conflict occurs when expectations are not meet.” This has to do with both sides. So ask for
- details descriptions of materials to be used
- detail processes that will be used
- Create an understanding of what guide lines will be used to gauge whether work performed is to be demined suitable or not.
- How are will going to resolve disputes.
- Check reference carefully. The best way to check up on a contractor is to talk with the local building officials. These people are public servants who job is to protect the people within their city. Their should have dealing with your contractors and they will have first knowledge of their quality of work.
I hope this brings you more information than the article that was written. You can use these same techniques when purchasing a new home.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make the difference.
Good luck in remodeling or building your new home. If I can help you in anyway or answer question you may have. Feel free to contact me. Thanks for visiting.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Mon, Mar 14, 2011 @ 04:41 PM
New homes are getting smaller for many reasons. That’s why design will play a larger part in creating those smaller homes without giving anything up. Today economy is forcing builders to design new homes smarter which will be better for home buyers.
Here are a few design ideas that I have learned
- Use more pocket doors. A pocket door cab save up to 10 square fet of swinging area
- Improve the circulation in your home design. Hallways eat up space. In a open floor plans hallway space is either minimize or remove base on the face of shared space.
- Design secret hideaways. Create niches ,exploit all cavities, create places for things such as trash, recycling centers, canned goods, linins and seating. Reduce visual clutter make any room seem larger.
- Look higher for storage space. Almost all new homes have 9’ ceiling. So create storage space above the area you can’t reach. Utilize that each 1’ in closets , kitchens and storage areas.
- Create memory points. The good thing about smaller homes is that they is less to decorate. So remember to have a wow factor in each room. People will remember your memory points and not the size of the room.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make the difference.
Good luck building your new home. If I can help you in anyway or answer question feel free to contact me. Thanks for visiting.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Thu, Mar 10, 2011 @ 04:34 PM
Design Ideas For Smaller New Homes
Let The Sunshine In
New homes are getting smaller for many reasons. That’s why design will play a larger part in creating those smaller homes without giving anything up. Today economy is forcing builders to design homes smarter which will be better for home buyers.
One of the cheapest ways to make a smaller home feel larger is to steal the space from outside, thru the use of windows to make a room feel bigger. A properly place window can make a room feel much larger.
Here are a few ideas:
- When you enter thru the front door , make sure you see thru the home to the exterior. First impression are important and the ability to see thru a home steal space from outside and brings it in..
- Add corner windows whenever possible. Having the ability to see both straight out and to the left or right always make any room feel larger.
- Sunlight in general always make a room feel larger. So don’t get cheap on the size or number of windows you plan to use.
Steal the light and space from the exterior of a home is free. So don’t over look.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make the difference.
Good luck building your new home. If I can help you in any way or answer question feel free to contact me. Thanks for visiting.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Sun, Mar 06, 2011 @ 10:41 AM
When planning to build a new home, you must take into account all the views your lot has to offer. Squandering a killer view is just not acceptable. Not minimizing a bad view is just shameful.
A good builders should show you how you need to maximize your good views and how to minimize your bad views. Builders should take a lesson from good photographers. A good photographer uses the camera’s viewfinder as a tool for framing beautiful vistas, serene coastlines, or vibrant cityscapes, a good builder should do the same thing – except with wood, glass, metal, stone, and any other number of materials
So when you are planning to build that new custom home, do not over long your views. Work with what you got to maximize your new home.
You have made a good decision to build new home. Choose the right home builder, take the time to plan and you will have a home that will cost you less to own over the years.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make the difference.
Good luck building your new home. If I can help you in anyway or answer question you may have about
- Building a new home
- Buying a new house
- Selling your new home
- Remodeling Your new home
Feel free to contact me. Thanks for visiting.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Thu, Mar 03, 2011 @ 09:46 AM
We all need to understand that building green homes is important for the future of this planet. But we also need to understand that building green home is more than just using recycles materials.
So in an attempt to help you understand a little more about building green homes, this part of my series is about how we can conserve our natural resources. So here are a few things to think about before you build your next new home:
- Plastic Lumber: Recycled plastic lumber or plastic/wood composite lumber provide durable alternatives to solid wood for exterior applications such as fences, benches, decking, docks, retaining walls, picnic tables, and landscape borders. Due to its weather-and insect-resistant nature, plastic lumber can readily substitute for treated wood in non-structural applications. Plastic lumber is also rot and corrosion-proof, and will not crack, splinter, or chip. It has a long life expectancy in exposed, sub-grade or marine applications, and does not leach chemicals into ground or surface water or soil as treated wood can.
- Engineered Wood: There are many different type of engineered wood products. These products combine efficient raw material use with improved strength and performance capabilities to produce a superior option to traditional materials. Engineered lumber manufacturers use fast-growing, small-diameter trees efficiently. Combining wood veneer and fiber with adhesives produces laminated veneer lumber. Wood roof and floor trusses are commonly used instead of cut rafters because they save both time and materials. They can also reduce wood waste because, ideally, you order only what you need, and because of efficiencies in the production process.
- Fiber Cement Siding: Fiber-cement siding is a durable and low maintenance product. But is also a very efficient way of recycling our natural resources. It also offers a fire rating that most other exterior sidings do not.
- Brick: The manufacturing process for making brick is very efficient combined with it’s life expectance make brick one of the most green exterior siding choices. Add the fact that you can recycle brick in the future makes this a no brainer in green building.
Good planning leads to good execution. That is why when you start to plan to build that next new home, you need to plan for the future.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make your next home a custom home. Good luck designing your own home. I hope this helps you with you building your next green home.
Posted by Rick Merlini on Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 09:36 AM
We all need to understand that building green homes is important for the future of this planet. But we also need to understand that building green home is more than just using recycles materials.
So in an attempt to help you understand a little more about building green homes, this part of my series is about indoor air quality. Air Quality its high on most people’s list until it’s to late. So here are a few things to think about before you build your next new home:
- Carpeting: Most people don’t think carpet has anything to do with air quality, but it dose. By using low-pile or less allergen-attracting carpet and pad can greatly improve indoor air quality. Installing carpeting by tacking rather than using glue also reduces air pollutants. There are also natural fiber carpets available such as jute, sisal and wool that many builders offer to improve air quality. Many Built Green homes feature plans that reduce the amount of carpeting and use alternate flooring made from sustainably harvested wood or bamboo.
- Paints: Many Built Green homes use low-VOC and low-toxic interior paints and finishes to reduce toxins ordinarily associated with other paints. Using these types of paints helps to improve the overall indoor air quality of the home.
- Ventilation: Greater air tightness creates a need for mechanical ventilation to avoid potential indoor air quality problems. Balanced or slightly positive ventilation keeps outdoor pollutants from being drawn into the house, prevents back drafting or spillage from combustion appliances (due to under-pressurization), and prevents moisture migration into structural cavities (due to over-pressurization).
Good planning leads to good execution. That is why when you start to plan to build that next new home, you need to plan for the future.
Remember, greatness in is the details. It is those small details that will make your next home a custom home. Good luck designing your new home. I hope this helps you with you building your next new home.