Ask Rick's Blog

Must Have Features For A New Home

Over my 32 years of building I have encounter many different situation. We all would like to plan for every one of them but that would be hard. But here are a few tips I believe to be important for you to know.

In the Beginning

• Before starting construction but after you finalize your plan, take one more time to revisit your plan. When you revisit your plan, look to
  • Improve or maximize your space.
  • Start thinking about where you are going to put your existing furniture and does it fit. Also, start considering what else you may need to purchase in the future.
  • Make sure your new construction homes finished floor elevation is above the 100 Year Flood Plain. If not, it will cost you $2000 to $4,000 additional for home insurance.

 
Energy Star is the first step to Living Green.

The conservation of energy not only saves our environment but also saves you money by lowering energy cost. Here are a few must haves when you are building a new construction home . Your exterior wall components should equal an R-14 or more.

• Your Ceiling insulation of R-38 or more.
• Your basement exterior walls should have a minimum of R-5 or 1” of Styrofoam around its perimeter.
• Window should be double insulating glass with Low – E Glass.
• 13 Steer A/C Units
• 90 Plus Furnaces
• Energy Star Rated Appliances and hot water tanks are ideal.
• Duct Work should be checked for leakage periodically.
• Enclosed Gas Unit Fireplace should be used instead of natural wood.
• Programmable thermostats allow the homeowner to program times and temperature for automatic operation, saving 30% during a typical setback period.

 
Heating and Cooling

You should install a minimum of a 90 Plus Furnace and a 13 Steer A/C unit and also include Programmable thermostats that allow the homeowner to program time and temperature for automatic operation, saving 30% during a typical setback period. Some other important options that should be consider are

• Improved air filtration will improve indoor air quality. Basic filter categories are electronic, pleated media, and electrostatic. Select one that meets your needs and lifestyle.
• Zoning the System allows a single system to be separated into multiple zones. Each zone has individualized control with its own thermostat. This is very important with two or more story homes.
• 2 separate systems are recommended when building three level homes.

 
Electrical

All homes are wired to code requirements. This means that plugs are installed so many feet apart, etc. If you have specific electrical needs or locations you should identify those items to be sure you receive what you need. Choosing the right finish fixture is also a detail that we need to address. Here are a few facts to keep in mind

• Fluorescent lighting is less expensive to operate over time.
• Make sure the size of your light fixture is appropriately sized to fit the room.
• Recess light does not give off a lot of light. Because they are sunk into the ceiling, the beam of light is limited. One surface fixture can sometimes give off more light than 3 recess lights.
• Think about where you are going to iron clothes, put your TVs, and any other item that may need an electrical plug
• Create a list or ask your builder for a list of your finish fixture needs.
• Ceiling fans need to be specified before the electrician shows up because they need special support to hold them up. Also consider that a light can be purchase with the ceiling fan so that the opening could be used for both a fan and lighting. Using a ceiling fan helps lower energy use and does an exceptional job cooling the home.
• If you are given an allowance, make sure you are made aware of the projected amount before construction starts.

 
Plumbing Needs

One of the first decisions you will need to make is what color you want your tubs and toilets to be. The second is what finish you want on your finish fixtures. Chrome is the least expensive but has also faded from favor with the general public. If you have a soaking tub, you will need a minimum of a 50 gallon hot water tank if not a 75 gallon tank to insure plenty of hot water in your home. You should consider elongated toilets for comfort. With new plastic water lines becoming popular, there are not any shut off valves on them in your lower cost homes. You should have at least 2 hose bibs for exterior water use. They should be located in diagonal corners of the home.

Some other things to consider are

• Tankless hot water systems will save you operating cost over time.
• Any possible rough in for future bathrooms
• Water powered sump pumps are a backup system for when power is lost in your area.
• Adding a distribution system with shut offs for your water line system can benefit your family’s water bill
• An outlet or water line prep for your sprinkler system
• Hose bib location for washing your car and washing down the rear patios

 
Roofing

The 3 tab asphalt or fiberglass shingle is standard with most home builders. The quality of shingles is judged by the weight of a square (100 square feet of shingles). The typical shingle is 220# per square. Shingles come in many different colors and the color chosen has very little energy cost consequence.

Dimensional shingles vary in weight from 225# to 360# depending upon the quality. The dimensional shingles resemble shake shingles or some type of designer look. Most homes over $275,000 have this type of shingle, varying in quality. The zinc treatment is recommended for this type of shingle also. The dimensional shingles have limited warranties of 20-30 years depending upon the shingle. The most over looked part of roofing is the presents of adequate ventilation in your roof system. The use of continuous venting has been proven to be a better system over time.

Exterior Siding

The 4 most common exterior siding are the following

• The vinyl siding benefit is the ease of maintenance but because it is a plastic, it can lose form over time. I recommended the use of a premium siding that is thicker and designed not to lose its form over time. It is an upgrade with most home builders but not with most custom home builders.
• Cement-based siding such as Hardy Plank has become more popular in recent times. They are advertised as either low or no maintenance products. This product doesn’t rot nor does the finish peel, but it does fade over time. Depending on your tolerance level of your home’s exterior appearance, it would most likely need to be repainted after the 10th year.
• Unless you are in love with the look of a stained wood siding and that is what you want, wood siding doesn’t have any advantages over the first 2 sidings mentions above. In fact here is plenty of maintenance that comes with wood siding.
• Stucco / Drivet is a masonry type product that can bring higher R values to your walls and give you years of maintenance-free life style. This style also comes in a variety of colors that you may choose from. The only drawback is the cost is the same as having brick installed.

 
Brick and Stone

The preferred exterior finish choice year after year is brick. This product gives you years of maintenance-free living and never changes color. Brick is by far the best exterior product to use. Because there are so many different types of brick colors and styles, it is common for builders to either give you a choice of a half dozen bricks or just give you an allowance so to allow you to go to the brick yard and chose the brick you like. Make sure that you know the exact amount of brick to be used on your homes along with the dollar amount of the allowance so that there are no surprises at closing.

Stone is making a big come back. Like brick, it is very durable but even more expensive. That is why you see a lot of homes using stone in small areas as an accent feature. Culture stone and other products that are similar are manmade stone are much easier to install and are less expensive than real stone.

Windows

The most popular windows in use today are either windows made of vinyl or wood. When you talk windows you must understand that the glass used should be the same in vinyl or wood windows. The glass should be double insulated glass with Low E. Here is a short list of the pros and cons of vinyl and wood frames

Wood Pros and Cons

• Wood frames do have a stronger frame and can make a larger window as opposed to vinyl. It can also give you a specific look if that is what you want. A third pro is that you can paint the exterior any color you like to match the exterior appearance you are trying to create.
• Wood frames often swell in the summer time which makes it harder to operate. It also needs to be painted a second time within the first or second year and then at least every 10 years after that. If not, the wood window frames will rot and will then need to be replaced.

 
Vinyl Pros and Cons

• Vinyl frames are virtually maintenance-free and are resistant to rotting. The energy efficiency of both wood and vinyl are extremely close and should not be a factor.
• Vinyl frames can limit the size of the window. You should not design a home with one window being much larger than 8’ wide and 6’ tall. Also the hardware is screwed into plastic so you have to watch how much pressure you put on locking and unlocking each time. Vinyl frames are also limited in color to a white or tan.

 
A third option is the vinyl clad wood frame If you want your window to have the look of wood on the interior but the maintenance-free of vinyl on the exterior, you can step up to a wood window that has a vinyl covering. Be aware that if you plan on painting the interior of your window you should think twice. Plan on paying 25% to 30% more for this type of window but understand it is an option. The money spent here could be used somewhere else. Remember you can always trim out vinyl windows the same as a wood. The benefit is that vinyl could save you some money there.

Ceiling Height

Before mid-2000, typical ceiling or wall height in most homes was 8 feet if the ceiling was flat. Often times, though, you would find a high cathedral ceiling in a room or two. But since the mid-2000s we have seen a migration to 9’ ceiling and even 10’. Big 2 story great rooms and 2 story foyers are not a must like they once were. The use of 9’ and 10’ has removed the urge for that cathedral ceiling. Some of the thought reasons for the removal of the cathedral ceiling are that they make the room less cozy, people are starting to view it as wasted space, and it is viewed as a waste of energy

In homes costing under $300,000, we see the 9’ ceiling in place. Between $300,000 and $500,000 we see 9’ ceiling in the homes except in the great room where it is increases to 10’ or 12’. In homes above $500,000 we usually see 10’ throughout with an increase in the great room.

Wall and Ceiling Finishes

Drywall that is glued and screwed is the best practice today. The use of screws will help minimize nail pops once the home settles. Most good builders will offer a touchup of the drywall 1 year after the sale but not painting. You should have a few cans of paint left over from the initial painting so that you can do it yourself.

Almost all homes will have square 90 degree corners. But as an option, we encourage the use of round or radius drywall corners throughout the home. Small radius corners replace the square corners on all outside corners and also provide a very soft and elegant look to your home. Since 2005, we are introducing different style tan just the rounded corners.

Most ceilings today are finished smooth. But here at Live Well Homes we do offer 2 other ceiling finishes to our customers- popcorn or acoustical spray. The popcorn finish skips the trowel and resembles a toweled stucco look. The acoustical spray is sprayed on and looks as if flakes or large sand particles were applied to the ceiling.

Interior Colors

Interior styles are constantly changing. It is all about your personal taste and your personality. Although we here at Live Well Homes do not think there is a right or wrong, we believe that you need to have harmony in a room. Our advice for all our customers is unless you are well experienced in interior decorating, go through magazines a find a look that you like. Once you find that look, just copy it. Copying those themes and using it as reference when you are trying to put together your home is a surefire way of getting what you want. We at Live Well Custom Homes do offer you a 2 hour free consult with our interior decorator if you so chose. Here are a few links to articles write about colors and design that may help you design your dream home

 
Trimming Out the Home

Trim is the detail that everyone sees. The more trim you use and the larger it gets, the more expensive it becomes. First thing you need to understand is that ogee molding is used for the traditional look and a more simple looking square off corner molding is used for an urban/ cotemporary feel.

For homes under $300,000

• Base Molding should be 3”
• Casing ( Molding around doors and windows) 2 1/4 “
• Doors will be 6’8” tall and should be amazonite with your choice of 4 or 5 different door pattern. Doors are hollow.
• Wood window frames will have casing around complete window with NO sill. Vinyl window frames will have a window stop, with no trim around the outside of the window but will include a window sill. The sill is either made of wood or marble.
• Railing used is either a colony railing and painted colony spindle for traditional look or a 2 x 6 hand rail with square spindle for the contemporary look
• Common option at this price point may be adding crown molding in the foyer or upgrading the railing

 
For homes from $300,000 to $500,000

• Include all of the above. May make the use of
• Crown molding in certain areas
• Doors could go to 8’ tall on the first floor but are still hollow
• Upgrading railing by using wrought iron the use of chair railing in some rooms
• Increase in size of molding. Base may go to 4“ or 5” and casing to 3 1/4”

 
For homes from $500,000 to $1,000,000

• All of the same features of the $300,000 but include
• 8’ Solid core doors on first floor
• Wainscoting in some rooms
• Crown on complete first floor
• Minimum Base of 4 “ or 5” and casing to 3 1/4”

 
Doors

Pocket vs. Swinging Interior

Many times, the pocket style door is used in door openings where the swinging door would hinder the flow of. Although, if the pocket door is overly used it will become difficult to maintain by coming off its tracks, sticking, etc.

Sliding Doors vs. French Doors

Doors should depend upon the style of the home and your budget. If you are using sliding doors try to use pocket sliding doors wherever possible. If you are using French doors they come in one, ten, or 15 light type doors. If they are opening to your pool we discourage the ten and 15 light doors. It seems your eyes get caught in the grids and you do not look beyond to the pool. I would suggest either single light French doors or sliding doors opening to the pool. French doors are normally wood doors; however, should the doors not be under a covered porch but covered only by a small overhang, you should ask that these doors be steel or fiberglass to reduce future maintenance. When your home has 10 foot or higher ceilings, request that the sliding or French doors have transom glass installed above. This brings the room into scale. Furthermore, when 10 foot tall ceilings are used, all exterior doors should be 8 foot in height as opposed to 6’8″. This should be clearly stated in the specifications.

Garage Finishes

Garage finishes are becoming every popular. The man area, as it is sometime referred to, is evolving into a finish room. Here is what you should expect when it comes to the garage finish

Homes Under $200,000- At this price point you may not see the whole garage finish with drywall. You may just see 1 or 2 walls with drywall

Homes $200,000 to $500,000- You should see finish drywall on all sides .The drywall most likely is a slick tape finish and not a smooth finish. Some options you may see are

• You may want the drywall finished coated and painted
• Epoxy painted floors which virtually eliminates dust in the garage
• Some type of garage organizing system

 
Homes over $500,000- Should see all the above and more

Door Hardware

Door hardware comes in different shapes and finishes. The 2 most common shapes are either a ball knob or lever handles. Ball knobs are mostly used in production homes under $300,000. You should see lever handle as standard once you reach the price point of $350,000 and above. Lever handles should be used with all empty-nester products because it is much easier to operate than twisting a knob.

The 3 most common finishes are chrome, brushed nickel, or oil bronze. Chrome is the less expensive and again seen in most production homes under $250,000. The use of brushed nickel is more common in homes after the $300,000 price point. Oil Bronze is usually not seen until after the price point reaches $400,000 and above. There is not one finish better than another, it all depends on personal taste.

One thing to remember is that your door hardware is only one component of the door. Hinges are also an important part of the door. Remember to make sure the handle finishes matches the door hinge finish. This usually occurs at the time you order your interior doors.

Skylight

A skylight comes in a 2′x2′ or 2′x4′ size. There are other sizes available, but they are more expensive since they are not standard models. Skylights are often used in a room that you can not get the natural lightning you desire through the use of windows. One thing to remember is that skylights are not energy efficient.

Appliances

Appliances are the most personalized item of a home because there are so many manufactures with so many options to choose from. The best method to insure happiness is to receive an allowance of money to go and pick out your own appliances.

Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are becoming the most requested type of flooring. Hardwood comes in many colors, sizes, and finishes. Wood often produces a more desirable warm feel than ceramic and the lack of grout makes for an easier cleaning experience.

Ceramic and Stone Tile

The use of ceramic is still the most popular choice for wet areas such as bathrooms. It is very important to identify all the areas that you plan on using ceramic prior to the start of construction. The reason being is that special framing must be completed prior to the installation of ceramic.

One of the worst things that can happen to a home is for water to get behind the wall tile in the bath areas. We here at Live Well Homes believe very strongly that all bath wall tiles should be installed over concrete mud work or concrete wonder board. The additional cost of mud work installation vs. tile over water resistant drywall will be paid back many times over in the future. Never accept bath wall tile to be installed over water resistant drywall as opposed to concrete mud work!

Ceramic tile specifications should be given to you in a per square foot allowance for material. You may then go to a tile store and look at available selections to be sure that the allowance given is adequate. Be very careful if the builder offers a total installed allowance for all tile in the home as opposed to an allowance for each square foot of tile in each area.

Furthermore, the tile allowance should be specified as an amount per square foot for tile material only. Do not accept this allowance as a total amount for ceramic tile installed throughout the home. Should the builder have underestimated the quantity required or used an unrealistic allowance for tile you may end up with a very unpleasant surprise in the end.

Remember, greatness in is the details. Good luck with your home and I hope this helps you. If you have any other question or comments, feel free to leave them here or email me at rick@livewellcustomhomes.com 

Live Well Custom Homes have 4 New Homes for Sale in Birmingham Michigan ready for you. Please visit our web site under homes New Homes to view what we have. If  you do not find what you are looking for , we can help find you that perfect vacant lot in Birmingham , than design and build you a brand new custom home just for you.