Posts about Designing a Custom Home in Grand Rapids:
Not Sure What to Do First? Use This Custom Home Planning Checklist to Map Your Next Steps
Building a custom home is exciting, but the beginning can feel surprisingly unclear. When you are still figuring out how to prepare to build a custom home, it can be hard to know if you should start with a lender, land, a builder, a timeline, or...
Start Here: The Simplest Way to Plan a High-Performance Custom Home in West Michigan
Most homeowners start the custom home process backwards.
They browse inspiration photos.They compare builders.They look at kitchens and finishes.
But the most important decisions happen before any of that.
Key Considerations When Designing Your West Michigan Home
Is your dream in good hands? Designing a custom home is about building a home that performs well, feels good to live in, and stands the test of time. That kind of home doesn’t come from guesswork or generic plans. It starts with a process that...
Can I Bring My Own Trade Partners in Grand Rapids: Part 2
Last month I discussed some common questions builders receive regarding whether R-Value Homes allows homeowner clients to specify or choose some of the subcontractors (we call them Trade Partners) to work on their home.
I started by looking at...
7 Bad Reasons to Use Your Own Trade Partners: Part 1
Can my electrician friend and I moonlight the electrical when you build my house? Do you allow me to use some of my preferred subcontractors on my custom home build?
These are common questions builders get. Bringing your own Trade Partners is...
8 Principles For a Successful Custom Home Building Project
You may be finding yourself asking these questions: Why do you want to move out of your existing home? Why do you want a sustainable home? Why you aren’t buying or remodeling an existing home? Why should I start looking for a custom home builder?...
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...