Can I Price My Custom Home by the Square Foot?
I need to start by qualifying these comments. The problems below are mostly unique to custom home building. Semi-custom and Production Home Builders, or “spec” builders are structured differently, and can often achieve higher accuracy with square...
How Hidden Site Costs Increase the Cost of your Home
An unfortunate reality is that many folks get blindsided with the actual cost of their home. We seem to think the only things that make a home costly to build are the flooring and countertop choices. In part 1 we looked at design, in this blog we’ll...
Is It Cheaper to Build a Custom Home or Remodel?
Recently I encountered an interesting study on the real cost of home ownership. I’ll look at the data below, but suffice to say I found it quite interesting, because it reminded me of the main reasons my wife Missy and I purchased our 1893 Victorian...
6 Surprising Factors That Blow the Budget, Plus 1 You Already Know
We all want to know how much to budget for our new home cost in West Michigan. We do our research on square foot costs, look at new homes for sale in our ideal neighborhood, and consider the additional cost of major items, like ICF walls. Yet an...
Design Your Home Right the First Time: A Better Process
In a recent blog post, I shared a horror story. It is a true story, and my heart hurts for the Johnsons.At the conclusion of the post, I wrote the following:How could the Johnsons have avoided this result?Briefly:· Assemble a design team first....
Avoid This 1 Mistake When Building a Custom Home
Writing a blog recently had me in an introspective mood. It got me thinking how our process has been shaped and honed not only to prevent mistakes, but ultimately with our clients’ best interest in mind. Let me begin with a story nobody wants to...
9 Tips for Building a Passive Solar Custom Home with Free Heat
Your dream home is green. You want to use as little energy as possible and perhaps generate your own energy with solar panels. There are plenty of options to use less energy in your custom home. One such option in the suite of green home technology...
21 Critical Elements Custom Home Builders Often Forget!
When you’re ready to build a custom home, you want to ensure that this once-in-a-lifetime investment reaches its full potential. Studying common mistakes and overlooked aspects of building a custom home will arm you with the vital knowledge you need...
How Much Does a Custom Home Cost in Grand Rapids, MI
Building a custom home in Grand Rapids is an unparalleled opportunity to create a space for your family that is tailored to your particular needs and goals and that you can cherish for many years to come. However, it’s also an investment—and likely...
