Home Improvement

HOME BUILDING GUIDE

Whether you’re hiring a GENERAL CONTRACTOR, using a CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANT or managing your job as an OWNER/BUILDER, you can use the resources to get the home you want.

mission is to advocate for the consumer through his internet, educational and journalistic endeavors so owners will get the home they want in a way that helps each individual achieve excellence, efficiency and effectiveness throughout their home building project. His objective is to earn the building community’s complete trust, confidence and respect by providing the highest degree of knowledge-based service possible.

The Home Building Consumer’s Guide is specifically produced for individuals who want to personally get involved in the Design/Build process for a home building or remodeling project. It takes a very integrated approach to the construction industry, and professionals and consumers alike are provided with a very practical

Participants in the Design/Build process are empowered to become better collaborators. This is not another “How To” approach which leads you through the hands-on labor of residential construction. Rather, it allows you to better understand the decision making process whether you work with a construction consultant, general contractor, or act as an owner/builder.

The checklists, models, forms, and guidelines act as a prompt to help you analyze the unique circumstances of your project. To further assist in your planning and organizing efforts, the resources at “Related Links” and “News” and “Subs/Vendors” are to be used in conjunction with the Home Building Consumer’s Guide as a means to fully investigate home design and construction resources. You need to develop a working relationship within the building community as a whole.

 

BUILDING THE PERFECT HOME ON YOUR LAND

WHAT IS BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME ON YOUR LAND?

Building a custom home on your land is a very different process than either buying an existing house or having a new house built in a neighborhood. First, if you’re having a home built on land that you own, then you own the project from the very beginning. And you only get one shot at it. Second, since you own the land, you—not the builder—provide the financing. Those two differences mean that building on your land is a much more emotional process than simply buying a home or having

INTRODUCTION: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW (AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW) ABOUT BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME ON YOUR LAND.

The purpose of this guide is to give you the knowledge you need to achieve your dream of having a one-of-a-kind custom home on your own land. We want to empower you to confidently go out and get all the necessary pieces together to make this dream come to life.

A word of caution: It’s tempting to think you can navigate the home-building process on your own. Yes, it is entirely possible to get a house plan, hire each subcontractor yourself, make a few phone calls, schedule the work, and avoid paying a professional to build the house for you. We all live, or have lived, in a house and land is land, so it all seems familiar, right?

I’ve built hundreds of homes myself, not to mention how many my father has built since 1964. Believe me when I tell you we learn new lessons every week. The cost of those lessons can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can’t  afford to make those mistakes on your own house. You risk going so far over budget you’ll either go broke or you’ll have to sell the brand new home you’ve built because you can’t afford it. At the very least, you’ll have invested much more than if you had hired a competent builder, plus you’ll have a lot of frustration and regret as well.

To have a new, one-of-a-kind, custom home built on your land, there are four basic things you’ll need:

1. A competent, professional home builder;
2. Money (either cash or a construction loan);
3. Land that is appropriate for building a house;
4. A house plan that fits your needs, wants, and budget.

 

ORGANIZE YOUR BUILD: THE OWNER-BUILDER HOME PLANNER

DO YOU HAVE A BIG GOAL OF BUILDING YOUR OWN HOME FROM SCRATCH? A DREAM OF CREATING YOUR ONE-OF-A-KIND PLACE ON THIS EARTH? A PLACE THAT YOU CAN TRULY CALL HOME AND MAYBE PASS DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION?

You know you want to build your home while you have the opportunity. But you have to be careful.

IMAGINE WAKING UP IN A BEDROOM THAT YOU BUILT FOR YOURSELF. EATING A HOME-COOKED BREAKFAST IN A KITCHEN YOU CREATED WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. SITTING ON YOUR OWN PORCH AT THE END OF THE DAY AND WATCHING THE SUNSET KNOWING THAT YOU’VE CREATED YOUR PERFECT SPOT ON THIS EARTH FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

You can do it. I know you can, because we did.

The easy part is figuring out how to put your materials together and actually build the thing. You can find videos on YouTube. You can read books and manuals. Heck, you can volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and learn some tricks of the trade. But that’s not what’s scary about building a home.

The real fear is wasting tens of thousands of dollars building a home that ends up being unlivable at the end. Of not following codes and ending up having your permit denied at the very end. Of ruining your family financially because you didn’t budget well enough.

I’ve seen countless people fail because they didn’t know how much of a house they could *actually* afford. Or didn’t realize they couldn’t legally build on their own land because of its flood or fire risk zoning until they’d already plunked down tens of thousands of dollars of their hard-earned cash. Or learned partway through that they couldn’t get insurance on their size and type of build.

 

BUILDING GUIDE

YOUR PLAN

We offer a range of plans to choose from, alternately we can design your home to suit your needs.

APPROVE QUOTE

A scheme plan and quote will be presented including your wish list and changes.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION PAYMENT

This is required to obtain necessary professional reports and consenting documentation

COLOURS

Our colour consultant will help you choose your colour scheme.

KITCHEN DESIGN

Our kitchen designer will work with you to finalise your kitchen concept.

ELECTRICAL CONSULT

Finalise the location of power points and light fittings, a great time to discuss any automation requirements.

APPROVE CONCEPT PLAN

This is your final concept, it includes the position of your house on your site, earthworks, retaining walls, driveways and drainage.

 

The Guide for Buying Land, Building a House or Buying New Construction

Sometimes, buying an existing home just won’t work. You may be a homebuyer who’s tired of competing for highly desired homes in the neighborhood you want, or maybe you just don’t like the idea of living in an older house.

Either way, you have options if you’d prefer to live in a brand-new house. Whether you’re planning to buy a teardown and build a home on the perfect plot of land or buy into a new housing development, prepare for a process that differs from purchasing an existing property.

Buying Land to Build a House

If you’re starting from scratch, the first thing you need to do is buy land, which can be a simple process — or prove fraught with problems if you fail to do your due diligence. Be sure to follow these steps before you close on a plot of land.

Check the zoning and condition of the property. Few things will be more disappointing than buying the perfect plot of land for your dream home, only to find out that it’s not OK to live on, either due to zoning issues or soil contaminants that make living there a hazard.

Check the zoning, grade and soil quality, as well as other details specific to the area that may keep a house from being constructed on the land. Even if there’s an existing home on the property, it’s important to check, as zoning or soil quality could have changed since that structure was built. A real estate agent familiar with buying land can help you with the due diligence process.

Kitchen Remodel Ideas that Have the Highest Impact on Resale Value

If you’ve been looking for design inspiration to remodel the kitchen on Pinterest, that’s great! You deserve to have a kitchen remodel that you can be proud of. But amidst all that, don’t forget to take things beyond the aesthetic. A functional kitchen is way more important than just a beautiful kitchen. Why not take your search up a notch up by narrowing down on the kitchen remodel ideas that are actually worth it?

And we don’t mean just aesthetically or in terms of the added convenience they offer — we also mean in terms of money. The idea is to create a kitchen you like working in, in a budget that you can afford, while also ensuring that you gain a return on your investments. It’s the details that count when it comes to remodeling. Just like everything else, not every investment has equal returns; so elements need to be picked carefully. The right changes in your remodel can boost up your ROI while the wrong ones will cause a staggering fall.

Compromising on quality by opting for cheaper options for a kitchen remodel will not do you any favors either. The items won’t last long, and it will only have a severe effect on your ROI. Besides, can you imagine the hassle of replacing those items in just a few months?

Painting Your Kitchen Walls During Your Remodel

Sometimes it’s best to take a step back from the nitty-gritty and look at the bigger picture. Your kitchen is an essential place in your home, as many family moments are created and cherished in the kitchen.

And for it to be that place, a lot goes into it too. There’s kitchen cabinets, countertop, appliances, and so on. But for these elements to stand out, your kitchen needs the right color scheme. Based on the wall paint, you can then choose the right color for kitchen cabinets and countertop too. In a way, your walls play an even more significant role in setting the kitchen design scheme that other things simply follow.

 

Things To Consider When Planning A Kitchen Remodel

We all know that life happens and change is inevitable. Even if you were completely in love with your kitchen when you first moved into your home, you may find it no longer suits your needs or style. In most cases, remodeling your kitchen is much more practical and cost-efficient than moving houses. But, at the same time, planning a kitchen remodel is no easy feat. Planning is paramount to ensure you get what you want and need without wasting time or money along the way

Life Stage

The stage of life that you and your family currently find yourselves in will have a big impact on the way you design your kitchen. The amount of traffic you expect your kitchen to see will affect not only the layout but the materials you choose as well. For example, if you’ve had kids since your previous , you may need to make it more child-friendly this time around. If you have a busy, active family, a design with good flow and an easy-to-navigate layout could be extremely beneficial for you. You may even want to consider materials that stand up to heavy use and are easy to clean. Whatever your needs are, incorporate them into your new design to help make your kitchen as efficient and easy to use as possible.

Timeline

There is no question that remodeling your kitchen will take time and cause upheaval in your family’s daily routine. This is something that is extremely helpful and important to plan for ahead of time. How will you shift and accommodate not having regular access to your kitchen? Will you eat out more? Do you have the space to organize a temporary, make-shift kitchen in another part of your home? If the weather is nice, maybe you will do a lot of outdoor grilling. Talk to your project manager about deadlines so that you will have an idea of how long you can expect to be without a kitchen. Being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel and knowing that your dream kitchen is waiting for you can often make the inconvenience a lot easier to endure.

Budget

Before you start your kitchen , it’s important to set a budget. Figure out what you can safely and comfortably afford and plan accordingly. Then, talk to your project manager and see which projects are the best to tackle first. If you know that you only have enough money set aside for a few projects, take some time to prioritize which ones are most important to you. At the end of the day, you may not be able to remodel your entire kitchen, but at least the elements that are most beneficial to you will be out of the way.

Functional Layout

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It can host many different activities such as food prep, , entertaining, and family time. Because of this, the layout of your kitchen is one of the most essential elements to consider when planning a remodel. You want your space to be functional. So, before you start, it’s important to know and understand what kind of space you have to work with.

 

Kitchens That’ll Make You Want to Redo Yours

The kitchen is probably the most used room in your house, so you want it to be a space you enjoy spending time in. And aside from functioning appliances, a kitchen design you’ll love for years to come is of utmost importance. So whether you’re renovating or simply looking for some inspiration, we found 90 kitchen design ideas that will help you optimize your own—and the best lessons to take from them. From country casual to sleek and modern—and literally everything in between–we’ve got all the kitchen remodel inspiration you could ever need. Gorgeous countertops, unique backsplashes, and statement lighting, we’re coming for you

Tile Your Hood

Cover your hood in the same material as your backsplash to make it look sleek and clean. Here, interior designer Heidi Caillier camouflaged a bulky appliance with zellige tiles.

Strike a Balance

This kitchen by Romanek Design Studio proves that balance is everything. The dark, moody tile walls, sleek backsplash, and stainless steel appliances assert an undeniably glam aesthetic while the wood and brass tones ground the space and give it that classic classic warmth. The bohemian runner also adds just enough color and fun.

Mirror Your Surfaces

If you love shiny stainless steel and edgy mirrored surfaces, take the metallic look to the next level with a gold mirrored island. In this kitchen designed by Dries Otten, the island brings some glamour to the playful elements throughout, like the single pendant light, swirls of pink marble, and cobalt blue loft railing above.

Choose an Adventurous Wallpaper

This swirly wallpaper proves that making adventurous design decisions can pay off. In this kitchen designed by Rita Konig, the wallpaper in question is Antoinette Poisson’s Jaipur. We love it even more paired with the rich purple-veined marble and painted cabinets. To protect it from water damage, Konig added an invisible glass over the wallpaper between the counter and cabinets.

 

What things do you need for kitchen renovation?

Design style and cabinetry

Explore kitchen designs that suit your personality, your lifestyle and the style of your home. There are no right or wrong conventions, but the style of kitchen you choose should blend perfectly with the rest of your interiors.

If you’re the proud owner of a period property you may be considering a traditional kitchen style. In a contemporary property you’ll have a mandate for much more minimalist and streamlined modern designs. That’s not to say modern kitchens can’t be embraced in older homes, so long as it blends with the rest of the home and is tastefully done

Flooring

The type of flooring you choose, along with its colour, can have a huge impact on the look of your kitchen. Limestone or marble tile floors are elegant bases for large traditional kitchen spaces

Worktops

As with flooring, worktops can make or break the overall look of the kitchen. Countertops are the workhorse of your kitchen, so durability should be factored into your choice. You’ll need to think about practicality of material for everyday use, the overall style and the color

Sinks and taps

There are plenty of style options and sizes when it comes to choosing a humble kitchen sink. There are also a wide variety of tap types to match. The kitchen sink is probably one of the most hardworking pieces of equipment in your kitchen, so it’s an important design aspect to get right.

 

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE A KITCHEN REMODEL

Is a kitchen remodel on the horizon? If you’ve been catching yourself dreaming of an update the heart of your home (which may or may not be screaming late 90s/early 2000s), we’ve put together a list of things to consider before a kitchen remodel goes into play

We gathered our team to discuss common factors that we encourage our clients to consider before taking the renovation plunge. Not that we don’t think it’s a great idea (we’re in that business after all), but just that things will go a whole lot smoother once you have a clear direction in place.

BUDGET

This is by far the MOST important thing to consider. There are many factors that come to play here but at the end of the day your budget needs to be your budget. There are also underlying costs that are unforeseen that we won’t know about until we open up walls and demolition takes place, so we suggest to our clients to have a 10-12% contingency fund of the total cost of the project put aside for the ‘what ifs’. It’s best to be prepared and if you don’t need it – all the better!

LAYOUT

Speaking of budget, do you want to keep the existing layout? Or add/remove walls? That will significantly affect the cost (relocating plumbing, electrical and such can vastly change the budget). If the walls are load bearing, permits may be required depending on the structural work being done (which can make another hit to your budget). Something important to consider for condo owners–are strata approvals necessary?

DESIGN

If you’ve been dreaming of a kitchen remodel for a while, it’s probably safe to say that you have a specific look/style in mind. With the powers of Pinterest and Instagram, we have access to amazing inspiration. Interior design is best left to a professional, which is why we have an in-house designer at Novero. To ensure you get exactly what you wanted (and more), our Design Team works closely with our clients to decide on everything from plumbing fixtures and paint colours to cabinetry profiles, etc. We also start by asking our clients, how they want their kitchen to function, because functionality is important and often missed without the help of a professional designer to help you see the bigger picture.

How to Find a Custom or Luxury Home Builder

Setting out to find a new home has its challenges, especially if there’s no new homes on the market that totally satisfy what you’re looking for in a new home. If this is the case, then finding a custom home builder to create your perfect home is a great approach for you.

So how do you find the custom homebuilder that will bring your dream home to life? It’s imperative to find the right custom builder as this person or group will be charged with creating the home you’ve always wanted in precise detail. With that in mind, it’s best to have a detailed list of things to consider while selecting a custom home builder.

Determine what you want in a custom home

The first part of the process is to jot down exactly what you want in your custom home. It can range from having a different layout for one or two rooms in the home or having a more intricate home plan.

The key thing to consider is that as you grow, your house should grow with you and be able to accommodate you and your family in that process with a consistent quality. If you do this ahead of time, when you sit down in interviews with custom home builders, they’ll be able to provide you better estimates based off your drawings and list of what features you’re aiming to have in your custom home.

 

CHOOSE YOUR ARCHITECT AND HOME BUILDER

When you build a custom home, you can either alter an existing floor plan or create a one-of-a-kind home to include everything on your list, but both options require a skilled architect and a reputable home builder.  Do extensive research to determine which architect and home builder is the right fit for you.  Find professionals that already build residences that match your style.  Take a tour of any models homes available so you can see the quality of their work, pay attention to the architectural details, and ask questions about their process.  Architects and home builders need not only look good on paper, so schedule a meeting with them so you can get a feel for the people behind the name.

REVIEW YOUR CONTRACT THEN REVIEW IT AGAIN

Anyone with a basic knowledge of contracts knows you should read every word before signing, but reviewing your luxury home building contract is more about learning what to expect during the home building process and making sure none of your specifications have been missed.  Have a list of everything you discussed with your realtor and with the home builder so you can be sure it is all included in your contract.  Your contract will also provide vital information, like an estimated date of completion and any processes the builder has for when there are delays because, let’s face it, many things can occur during the construction of a new home.  The key is having a homebuilder that can handle it efficiently and effectively.

 

Works as a Partner with you

A quality custom home builder will work with you and the design team to review the lot you have selected, how much of the lot will be used for house space, and then develop the layout, room sizes, elevations and design recommendations that meet your personality and goals to deliver the custom home that you want.

Has a Reputation for Quality – There is no substitute for getting it right. Top custom home builders only work with subcontractors accustomed to doing custom work. They make sure all are insured and  have proven track records. Most quality custom home builders will provide a list of their preferred trade partners for your convenience.

 

Forming a budget

Your budget will help determine every feature added, from custom high-end fittings, to electronics. What you don’t want to happen, is to get near the end of your project and find that you’ve depleted your budget.

Take your time in figuring out what you absolutely can’t do without in your luxury home, and how much you’re planning on spending. Making a list of your “must-haves” lets you choose where to allocate your budget.

Designing Luxury HomesPutting function first

Have you been in a luxury home that feels a little empty? You want a home that oozes warmth. If your builder doesn’t plan to make each space functional, a luxury home can easily feel unwelcoming. It’s up to you and your builder to plan how to make the most of each space, so your entire home feels warm and inviting.

The true definition of a custom luxury home is a home that provides a great family setting. At the same time, you need a friendly and engaging space for entertaining guests. Talk to your builder about how you’ll spend time in your home, to ensure your home functions the way you want it to.

 

Decide on Your Location

Whether you’re building your very first luxury home or crafting a holiday house for relaxation and recreation, you need to make some solid decisions before the build begins. You might have a number of suburbs and neighbourhoods in mind and need to narrow down the perfect block of land. Consider its proximity to amenities and areas that you frequent. If you’d rather be close to the centre of the action, a more metropolitan block of land will work best. If a remote and relaxed lifestyle is more your speed, a rural block could be your oasis.

Create an Electrical and Lighting Design

Day and night, your home will be powered by electrical and lighting systems. When it comes to designing a functional and appealing system, it’s important to work with builders and experienced electrical contractors. You’ll be guided through the possibilities and your design will be tweaked to accommodate your electrical and lighting vision; from simple and sleek to grand and extravagant.

Build with Custom Home Builders

Ready to bring your dream home to life? Work with experienced custom home builders to execute your designs with precision.