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Homeowners build new homes for many reasons: to customize the design, choose features that preexisting homes cannot provide, or maybe to live in a specific location. For something unique, you could choose a timber framed, panelized, or other type of “kit” home. These are constructed with “building systems” prefabricated in a factory, and then delivered…

Many people have very specific ideas about what their dream home should be – so specific, in fact, that they feel compelled to build a home from scratch. While the prospect is exciting, it’s also a difficult one to actualize. The idea of building a new home doesn’t sound easy, but the real obstacles and…

Property rezoning is typically done either for an investor to make a profit or for a homeowner to make his or her property more comfortable. Those who purchase a property with the hopes of rezoning for profit are often focused on changing the way that property can be used (for example, changing a residential property…

LEED certification is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to help promote green building practices and sustainable development across the country. It rates construction projects of all types by awarding points for green building practices in four separate areas: sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and innovation and design…

If you’re in the midst of planning a major renovation to your home, you’re probably only focusing on the final result: that new room addition, your new swimming pool, or a brand new floor plan. However, as you plan for the new, you’ll also need to consider the old. For areas to be replaced with…

Selecting the right home building or remodeling professional is likely to be the most important step to plan, draw, and build your new home or complete a home remodel. Today, there are more options than ever when it comes to design professionals, creating a time-consuming and often daunting task. Whether you decide to hire one…

July 6, 2016 I just got back from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) in San Francisco, and I heard some positive sentiment (Brexit shock notwithstanding) from builder executives. The level of traffic through showrooms and the quality of traffic have improved, supporting the pace of sales so far this selling season. Builders Focus on…

Improving your home can be exciting when you get to make something new out of something old. You can gain more space, turn a room into something completely different, or just update the out-of-date. But project length and time estimates are hard to come by. And that’s a problem for homeowners who want to know…

Split level house floor plans consist of multiple tiers which intersect one another throughout the home. Usually, they’re designed with 3 floors, each new level beginning about half way between the other’s floor and ceiling. So, in a typical split level house, you’ll walk up a porch and enter into the main level, consisting of…

Many potential homeowners have the perception that wood houses are inferior to their concrete and brick competition. It’s true that concrete, brick, and stone have become more popular home building, but this doesn’t mean a wood house has nothing to offer. Wood has several advantages over other building materials. It is a cheaper, easier to…