|
|
ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS As our format changed from Newsletters to FAQ'S the following were on the Newletter page. We also welcome your suggestions and comment regarding the current article or for an article you are interested in and ask that you use the Contact Us page to send us your suggestions. What should you as the client have available to Reality when we visit you to discuss your project?
Most of us gather ideas about what we want our homes to look like. We see pictures or articles in magazines, on-line, a TV show of living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, family rooms, bathrooms or outdoor living areas. We copy, tear out or somehow get pictures to put in a folder for review later. When we are ready and can afford to build a new home or remodel our existing homes we bring out the folder and review the material, perhaps using it all or discarding some ideas and adding fresher ones that appeal to us.
Part of this information may be a house plan or design from an on-line source, designer or architect. Do you have plans, ideas and pictures ready to show us? Do you know what you want your home to look like when finished? Do you have unusual ideas for wall moldings, trim, door styles, window styles, siding, roofing; outdoor areas you would like pricing for to see if it fits your budget?
Great, but these and other items below are needed by Reality to review and give you a good feasibility cost.
1) Budget – To know if you can afford to do the project you must have a budget number in mind for materials, labor, permits and designs, etc. This is most important for Reality to know so an accurate feasibility cost analysis can be prepared.
2) Lot – Are you building new? Have your checked out your lot with the local utilities for water/sewer/telephone/gas and electric service? Do you need a septic field, well, propane tank, generator and water runoff system, etc.?
Do you need to demolish an existing home on the lot and did you find out what is necessary to do this and dispose of the debris properly? Do you want to recycle any materials and have you collected information and called recycle centers on this process?
If you have, excellent. If not, obtain it now. This will help us with our review.
3) Permit Fees – Have you checked with the local municipality, City or County, for all the permits costs, plus hidden fees (taxes) that may come up later in the process, such as road mitigation fees for schools, extra cost for locating a water meter or gas meter?
Check now so there are no surprises later.
4) Financing – Do you plan on paying cash for your project or are you taking out a construction loan? Are you approved already or in process? Did you include in your financing not only your budget amount but any extra costs that may be incurred? Be sure to have this information available for Reality.
5) Plans – As mentioned above do you have the plans? Are they preliminary drawings we are able to do the initial cost feasibility from, or are you ready to start your project with final drawings?
6) Exterior – Do you have siding, roofing, door and windows styles picked out as well as exterior trim to go with the siding you picked? Pictures and descriptions, window and door catalogs, siding and roofing catalogs are good to have available as well. If you do not have any yet, we have a packet for you or will direct you to vendor showrooms or websites. Do you know what “curb appeal” you are trying for?
Have you seen a particular style of stone work for the exterior of the house or in an outdoor living area you think would be appealing? If so, have you checked with building supply companies for these styles and what they cost? Did you get the catalogs or brochures to show us?
More items for the exterior include lighting for the entrance, garage areas as well as for outdoor areas; decking styles and materials; concrete walkway styles such as stamped, broom swept, exposed aggregate rock or even asphalt. Have you considered outdoor play areas? Any information you have available is helpful to allow us to do accurate costing.
7) Interior – What type of warmth or eclectic feel do you want your home to reflect to yourselves and others? Do you envision one color throughout the home or different colors for each room? What preferences do you have for wall, door and window style moldings; railings and balusters or separate handrails in certain areas? Do you like open stairways vs. closed stairways; wood windows and doors vs. vinyl windows and molded doors? Flooring materials are varied in style as well as texture and color. What type do you like, carpet, hardwoods or laminate, cork, tile, slate or do you like a combination of several? Bath and kitchens include flooring and cabinets, accessories, fixtures, etc. Do you have the pictures avaliable with a particular style for these items or do you need plumbing, electrical, flooring, tile or cabinet specialists to help? Do you like square or rounded drywall edging; liner around windows or do you prefer drywall instead? All these are vital to your living style and what you want you home to look like.
With these ideas available, Reality can help by determining if your wishes fit your budget. When we present the feasibility costing and your wishes exceeds your projected budget, tell us we will recommending the proper sources to make your dream happen. As mentioned above, when we visit you at your project site we will provide a packet of brochures and catalogs from the vendors and sub-contractors we work with to help you make proper decisions regarding products. In addition, visit our Resources page on this website and look at the list of the vendors and sub-contractors available. We also encourage you to visit their websites to gather more information or call the contact listed and let them help you build your idea portfolio to share with us when we talk with you. Having the information listed above available and knowing what you want in your new or remodeled home is just part of the preparation for your project. Being prepared before you start makes the project go smoother and easier. This time we highlight Owner Managed Projects: Dried in Shells and One Second Story Addition Concern. What material to have available for a visit by Reality Remodeling Resources moved to Archived articles.
REALITY REMODELING RESOURCES OFFERS DRIED IN SHELLS FOR CUSTOMERS
Potential clients often ask if it is possible, due to budget constraints, time, skill or comfort level at doing home projects, if a dried in shell can be built for them allowing them to finish the remodel or new construction at their leisure or budget.
Some may ask this question because they have been turned down by General Contractors or other Construction Consultants. Often the General Contractor sees this type of project as profitless, a waste of time and resources; some Construction Consultants perhaps do not have the skills for the job.
We at Reality Remodeling Resources offer this unique service because match our services to our clients needs and have the experience where others do not.
The following are questions and answers regarding a dried in shell that you as a potential client of ours will find helpful in deciding on the scope of work for your project and select Reality Remodeling Resources to help you with your project.
• What is a dried in shell? Your new construction/second story addition/new addition, etc. is weather tight so you can work on the interior within your time frame. The roofing, siding, windows and exterior doors are installed and the house is ready for exterior paint. Gutters and downspouts are installed after painting. The interior is not finished except what you asked us to do.
• How much of the shell does Reality Remodeling Resources do? The simple answer is all that you want us to do. We talk with you about the scope of work you want us to do and what you are comfortable doing yourselves and what your budget requirements are. One example would be: Completing the demolition and creating the dried in shell to the bare studs including plumbing, electrical and HVAC rough-in work. Thereafter you would do the work. Another example is: New construction where the land is developed, excavation, foundation, framing, siding, roofing, windows and doors, and the exterior of the home is ready for painting. After painting then the gutters are installed. As mentioned above, you then complete the project.
• Who wants, or Why a, or What is the benefit of a dried in shell vs. a completed home, or vice versa What is the benefit of a completed home vs. a dried in shell? Owner/Builders, do it yourselfers and those on a tight budget may want to consider a dried in shell. The shell concept allows the owner to finish interiors on the own time-line, do all or some of the work themselves, and/or use their own sub-contractors and vendors rather than those we have available. They are also able to delay payment for some finishes, appliances, interior trim and doors, etc., as their budget allows. A completed home, as noted above, is usually an all or nothing project for the general contractor and you as the owner pay retail pricing for materials and pay it all up front.
• What types of plans are needed for Reality Remodeling Resources to do the work? We need permitted plans, those approved by the city or county.
• How is this accomplished? You as the owner hire an Architect, Designer or do you own plans, have them engineered to meet city or county codes, if needed, and then submit to the city or county for permitting.
• Is the permit process any different between a dried in shell vs. a completed home? No. Both require plans submitted to the city or county.
• What are the cost savings over a completed home? A general range is 25% to 55% below retail pricing, depending on the scope of work the client has in mind.
• Why don’t General Contractors offer this service? General Contractors markup costs on all items needed to complete a project, do change orders on items not “mentioned” in the original scope of work or are added as upgrades by the home owner as the project progresses. This is how they make their money.
• Why don’t other construction consultants offer this service? As noted above, for the most part they do not have the experience or desire to offer this service or do not have the resources offer it. We do have extensive experience and our clients will verify this.
• What is the benefit of having Reality Remodeling Resources provide this service? As stated in cost savings, the range we can save you the homeowner/builder is 25% to 55%.
• What part do you as the homeowner play in this scenario? Again this depends on the scope of work decided upon and the skill and comfort level you have.
• If a shell is completed, but the homeowner decides not to do the rest of the work will Reality Remodeling Resources complete it for them? Yes, of course we will. The scope of work for the interior work can be negotiated as a separate contract should you, the owner desire this type of service.
• What is the fee for this type of service? Our fee is dependent on the scope of work determined with the client at the outset for the dried in shell and again dependent on the scope of work mentioned in the last item for interior work.
• Is the fee any different between a dried in shell vs. a completed home? Yes and No. The fee structure for both is determined by the scope of work the homeowner desires.
We hope this information is helpful to you as you make decisions on building a new home or remodeling the one you are in. Please see our Home Page to see other services Reality Remodeling Resources can help you with.
REALITY SOLVES SECOND STORY ADDITION COST DILEMMA
Let’s say you are contemplating adding a second story addition to your home. A typical scenario would be clouds of dust and debris coming down on the lower floor as the new second story is installed. Most people would prefer to move out of their home while the upper floor is constructed, creating added expense and distress.
How do you efficiently construct second story additions on homes not structurally designed for an additional floor without tearing up the first floor and making life miserable or impossible for clients who choose to live in the house while there is ongoing work?
This dilemma can often be avoided by Reality’s system of using engineered lumber that in recent years has come to the market. This engineered lumber can be bought in lengths up to 60 feet and has superior strength compared to ordinary lumber. This system uses engineered lumber to build an independent floor structure which floats over existing ceilings and is supported continuously over the exterior walls. A center continuous beam, if needed, can be supported wherever a wall is located below with a post and footing inserted.
Cost savings of using Reality’s system over extensive new foundation work are considerable. Lateral or wind and earthquake requirements are met by using continuous engineered lumber beams as drag struts and connecting them to anywhere a shear wall exists or can be inserted. This system has been used successfully on dozens of projects by Reality with very positive results. Client disruption is minimized because almost all the rough construction is completed and the addition can be closed to the weather before any major intrusion is made into the lower floor. Costs are minimized because existing ceiling wiring, plumbing, HVAC ducting, gas piping and ceiling finishes can be left intact. Another advantage is the airspace between the floors, which then becomes a highly effective sound deadening element.
|
|