HouseSight is the Internet Destination for Sharing and Managing Home Remodeling Projects
By Mark J. Donovan
Today I launched “HouseSight” on www.HomeAdditionPlus.com. HouseSight is a social networking community for DIY home improvement enthusiasts and contractors to share their home remodeling project experiences and knowledge. It’s also a great place to get ideas for your next home improvement project and ask fellow registered HouseSight members questions about their particular home remodeling project. HouseSight registration is easy, and best of all, it’s free.
For a full description of HouseSight please see the HouseSight Launch Press Release.
Release of HouseSight on HomeAdditionPlus.com
Home Addition on Slab or Basement
Summary: If your lot is flat, and all other things are equal, it is generally less expensive (cheaper) to build above grade and to build with wood than it is to build below grade and to build with concrete or masonry.
Hello,
We are considering adding on to an existing house using a slab
foundation.
We live in MO and it is very rocky.
What I want to know is, would it be cheaper to have a basement with one story or have a slab and have two stories?
Thanks,
Renee
Hi Renee,
If your lot is flat, and all other things are equal, it is generally less expensive (cheaper) to build above grade and to build with wood than it is to build below grade and to build with concrete or masonry.
If your lot is sloped, a crawl space would be the next least expensive or you could even entertain digging into the slope to obtain a level area for a slab.
An alternative I have used is to level the actual building site (dig into the slope), build a retaining wall (with a drainage system), and build the house on a slab foundation on the resulting flat area.
The retaining wall could be made from wood, railroad ties, stone, block, brick, etc., or even an earth berm made from your own dirt.
There are always trade-offs in any construction decisions and with your project you can see you will have a few.
Good luck,
Carl
Is it a Good Time to Build a New home
Greetings Carl - I hope all is well and Happy New Year!!
Thanks for putting together such an informative book. Well done!
My wife and I will be looking to build our home this year. We live in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC.
In any event, I picked up a ready to build lot with all of the utilities on site from a national builder last year. This was the last lot and the development was completed 5 years ago and I got the lot at a good price from the builder.
My question is regarding the trend on costs for building raw materials. How are things coming along and looking based on what you are seeing out there?
I ask because once our plans are finished, I will be costing them out from various General Contractors.
I thought it would a good idea to get some feedback on building cost trends.
You would think that it would be cheaper to build now more than ever because of the current state of the economy.
Instead, I think it is getting to the point where it is cheaper to pick up a resale than to build.
Your thoughts and feedback is greatly appreciated!
Regards,
A.D.
Hi A.D.
Thank you for the compliment.
It is cheaper now to buy a used home rather than build a new home AND now is very close to, if not there already, the optimum time to build a new home.
This has always been a bit of a conundrum, since the beginning of modern housing.
All things equal (location, location, location) buying a used home is always cheaper than building a new one. If used homes weren’t cheaper, who would buy one?
Remember, in real estate it is always about location (location, location, location).
New home values depend on used home values, and used home values depend on prior sales in the neighbor hood…again, location, location, location.
Read my post “Why Should You Build or Buy a New Home instead of an Existing Home?”
Best of luck,
Carl
The Chillaxing Generation Y Housing Requirements
What Today’s Younger Generation Requires for Living Space
By Mark J. Donovan
Based on reports from the housing convention held last week in Florida, the chillaxing Y generation says no thanks to mom and dad’s old school home styles and values out in the burbs. Instead, they prefer the large crash pad in the city where they can hang out, party and chillax with their friends.
The Y generation demographics consist of about 80 million American youths who were born in the 1980s and 1990s. Between the great recession and their affinity towards technology, social networking and gaming, their interest in tending a yard and managing a large home just isn’t there, at least not for now.
Consequently, with a population that is even greater in size than the baby boomer generation, they’re a large residential building market opportunity for the savvy builder and investor. The secret though to winning their hearts and business, is understanding their needs and producing something that they can afford. With their limited savings and income, simplicity and convenience are ultimately the key ingredients in their housing requirements.
So what are the living space requirements of today’s adult youth? In a nut shell, large open concept spaces where the technology and food court meld into one. The word “kitchen” just sounds too old school, and a futon in front of the entertainment center is sufficient enough for doubling as a bedroom. Off to one side of the main living area, a simple bathroom consisting of a toilet, sink and shower, period. Soaking tub not required, although a Jacuzzi off the back deck or patio maybe a nice bonus. Also, one large storage area for storing the skate board and bike is a must. That’s about it, and quite frankly all they’ll be able to afford, at least until the U.S. economy markedly improves and they desire to take on more responsibility.
House Renovation Estimate
My plans are to buy an older 2 story house (built in 1941), that is all brick with approximately 2,000 sq ft.
The wood framing is completely rotted from the roof down.
I suspect asbestos is also present.
The brick however, appears to be in good shape.
Questions:
1) Cost to completely "shell" the house?
2) Cost to rebuild according to my desires?
3) Who do I contact in or around Charlotte, NC?
Thank you,
Clyde
Hi Clyde,
You can determine the approximate cost for rebuilding several ways.
Using the construction estimating software (which was used to estimate the cost to build example on Cost to Build in North Carolina) you can establish a rough cost estimate to rebuild the entire house.
Then separate the categories on 2 separate spreadsheets, one for building the new house shell and the other for finishing the house.
And, read the following articles I have on:
Tear Downs
Shell Builders
Here are 2 sources of contractors in NC. They don’t have to live in Charlotte to do your job, just within driving distance.
How to Find a Builder
And, North Carolina General Building Contractors
Almost any General Contractor can build your shell, especially now when new home construction is slow.
Be sure they are licensed and insured and get references and check them out.
A couple of side notes:
The brick that appears to be in good shape will have to be removed during the construction project and probably won’t be worth saving by the time you are ready to re-brick.
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A Charlotte tear down |
And, you may be only buying a lot (building site) as most foundations are not worth saving…so don’t pay too much for the property.
Investigate this project very, very carefully before you get in “too deep”.
Carl
Credit Score Information
Here is without doubt the most complete and informative web site on credit scores I have ever seen.
It was just launched.
Every question and facet of credit scoring I can think of is covered.
This was a much needed web site.
Explore it!
Carl
Construction Insurance | Builders Risk
My wife and I would like to take over the role of General Contractor from our builder as he
is not at all managing the project or looking out for our best interests when
signing subs.
How do I go about getting Builder's Risk and General Liability Insurance?
Travis
Hi Travis,
Builder's risk insurance is a special type of property insurance for houses while they are under construction that protects against loss.
The general contractor may be responsible for any losses caused by his own negligence, but the owner is responsible for most other losses. As an owner/builder, you are both the general contractor and the owner. Builder's risk insurance protects against some of these losses.
Read my entire article on Construction Insurance | Builders Risk for a more information including where to get it.
Good luck,
Carl
Bathroom Remodeling Project of University City by dRemodeling
An old bathroom need to remodel in order to keep it's modernity while still keeping the basic architecture, here are the project of dRemodeling that renovate and remodel the old bathroom of a historic 1894 home in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia. You can see the picture of before and after remodeling process. here are the pictures.
dRemodeling undertook much more than a mere cosmetic makeover - They undertook a complete structural renovation to bring the bathroom up to the most modern codes and standards and to ensure the bathroom would last for decades to come. Simply put, the homeowners wanted a guest bathroom that was built as solidly and as elegantly as a master bathroom.
The homeowners wanted the bathroom to exude a Zen-like atmosphere, so dRemodeling undertook several measures to ensure that they would get exactly (and beyond) what they wanted. The room was stripped down to the bare lath and then completely rebuilt and refinished into a modern bathroom. The process involved replacing the dingy old bathtub with a modern frameless glass-enclosed shower whose floors and walls were covered with pebble-like tiles to add a naturalistic flair to the modernist bathroom. via
FICO Scores Not a Simple Concept to Grasp
"Does the Mortgage Industry Rely Too Heavily on Credit Scoring Models?
Few factors affect the mortgage lending process as much as a borrower's credit score.
Mortgage bankers and their Wall Street counterparts have long relied on the FICO score to judge the ‘credit worthiness’ of the borrower.
For individual borrowers, their credit score at the time of loan application has a major influence over the amount of interest they pay or the next 30 years, not to mention the amount of cash required to close and whether or not they even qualify for the loan"…Read the entire article by Cindy Dixon at Mortgage News Daily.
Garage Floors
Summary: Garage floors should either slope to allow for water runoff or have a drain. Garage floors with a drain may require a separator to meet building code compliance. Sloping the floor is the cheapest way to construct concrete garage floors.
Carl,
Do you recommend putting a garage floor drain or just have them slope the garage out? We live in the Midwest (four seasons)...Tony"
Hi Tony,
A floor drain in garage floors, depending on locale, will probably require building code compliance and building code inspection and approval.
One may be forced to install a separator in garage floors that ...Read the rest Here.
More Snow and Fixing a Cracked Ceiling are on the Agenda for this Weekend
By Mark J. Donovan
More snow is on the way for tonight and tomorrow here in New Hampshire, and I’ve finally decided to fix the cracked ceiling in my family room, for good this time. I expect much of tomorrow to be split between snow blowing and shoveling, and installing trim along the roof peak in my family room.
The snow I’m all prepared for. The snowblower is in tip top shape, I’ve got plenty of gas and the deicing salt is ready to spread. It’s the cracked ceiling that I need a little more prep time, or at least enough time to make a few measurements and get to Home Depot and pick up some pre-primed 1-by lumber.
The crack ceiling runs along the entire length of the peak of my cathedral ceiling. The crack comes and goes with the seasons and with the amount of snow on the family room addition roof. I’m convinced it’s a framing issue that is the source of the recurring crack, and there is not much I can do about it at this point other than to hide the crack with a piece of wood trim. I’m convinced if I simply re-tape and mud it, it will reappear in short order. So my goal is to cut a narrow piece of 1-by lumber to length, and then cut the edges at the roof pitch angle to create a narrow flat surface along the peak of the cathedral ceiling. I’ll then paint it a flat white, as is the rest of the ceiling, and hopefully end my cracked ceiling woes for good. I’ll make sure to post some pictures pre and post the repair next week.
Have you experienced similar ceilings cracks due to the winter cold? If so, how did you go about fixing them?
House Plan Copyright
Hi Dave and Carl,
I am looking to build and have been looking at many plans in books.
I always seem to want make changes to the size or move a wall so the plans would need to be redrawn by an architect.
I see the books all say you are not allowed by law to make changes unless you buy the plans and get approval from the owner of the plan.
Is this true?
What are the rules of using existing house plans?
Thanks so much for your help.
Jennifer
Jennifer,
Home plans are protected under federal copyright laws against their unlicensed reproduction, use, or distribution. These same laws protect works of literature, music, drama and motion pictures which are all considered "original works of authorship".
The express consent of the copyright holder is generally required to use or modify a home plan. The copyright holder is usually the original designer and may or may not be an architect. There is more information on the American Institute of Building Design's (AIBD) website
This may prove frustrating if you only want to make minor changes to a plan. That's why I created the interactive plan tool at www.originalhome.com which allows you to make minor changes to our designs and order your custom plans without paying a design fee.
Hope this helps,
David Moore
Original Home Plans
Dear readers, you may want to read a similar post on copyright infringement, Copyright Basics for Home Designers.
Do you have a question for David?
Click here to "Ask the Architect".
Carl
Buying a New Home
Why Should You Build or Buy a New Home instead of an Existing Home?
Recently someone asked me “why should I build new home for more when I can buy a used home for less”
All things equal (location, design, and quality) used homes have always been priced less than new homes. If they weren’t, used homes would be difficult to sell.
Well, if a used house is really, really that good a deal, and real estate investors haven’t snatched it up, there must be something very wrong with it and/or the sale price…OR, it is in a very depressed real estate area
New homes are not built in depressed real estate areas.
Builders know that a key factor in selling new homes is to build them in well-planned, desirable neighborhoods.
1,556 Sq. Ft. @ $139,990 including land from Lennar
Builders, especially large builders and builder/developers are very good at “adapting” to changing real estate markets.
They can compete in any real estate market and adjust their new home pricing.
They can do this because their suppliers and subcontractors and even land sellers adjust their prices to market conditions.
All things equal, location, location, location, here are some excellent reasons why a home buyer would desire a brand new home.
• Design. When you buy an existing used home, you’re stuck with the design preferences of the previous owner. To make the house your home, you may have to spend money to remodel.
• Quality. The quality of building materials such as windows, siding, shingles, flooring, etc is always evolving and improving.
• Energy. Energy efficiency is better in a new home. Newer homes have more efficient and better furnaces, windows and insulation, all resulting in lower utility bills
• Warranty. Though the price of a new home may be more expensive than an existing one, your new home is likely to need fewer repairs or replacements since everything is new…and a new home comes with a New Home Warranty. The piece of mind of a new home warranty from a builder is “priceless”. For used homes, there is always MasterCard.
• Brand New. As a new home buyer, you get that “Brand New” feeling, not unlike that with a “Brand New” car.
• Incentives. A new home builder wants your business and offers excellent incentives and financing options to increase your home purchasing power.
• Financing. Obtaining a new home mortgage or any mortgage loan is often stressful. When you buy a used home, you’re dealing with the seller, the seller’s Realtor, your Realtor and potentially many mortgage lenders. New home builders, however, make obtaining new home loans and new home construction loans and the whole home financing process easy and hassle-free thanks to their mortgage lending connections.
Buying a new house isn’t always about money. There are many factors beyond economics that drive the decision to buy a new house.
A New Home Buyer Helps Build America…One New House at a Time!
Carl
Contractor Bids
Summary: Contractor bids should state clearly that payment will be for work completed, not in advance. Paying a contractor or subcontractor any money in advance can cause problems beyond your control.
Carl, I would have to argue against your advice as to not paying sub-contractors in advance.
I've worked in the past as a freelancer and the concerns that you mention about them not doing a good job are valid but as a sub-contractor without something down who's to say that the person hiring you has any money?
If you pay only a small portion down, say 25%, the contractor will need to do the rest of the job to get the majority of their money.
Also that down payment often goes to paying for the materials necessary for the job (assuming they're not separate to the cost)"
Matt
Matt,
Contractor bids should state clearly that payment will be for work completed, not in advance. Paying a contractor or subcontractor any money in advance can cause problems beyond your control.
It is the main reason you hear horror stories about being your own General Contractor.
Never pay a contractor or a subcontractor in advance! You pay only as the job is completed.
Payments can however, be in stages as the job progresses.
Certain trades such as electricians, plumbers and Heating and Air contractors supply the basic “rough in” materials, and the costs of these materials are paid when the rough in is completed and inspected.
 |
| Electrical "rough-in" |
As for your question whether or not the homeowner (the person hiring) has any money, it should be irrelevant as a contractor or a subcontractor can file a lien on the house for non payment!
If you don’t think that gets everyone’s attention, you haven’t been in the contracting business long enough.
On another note, when you pay in advance of a job being done or completed to a certain state of construction, you destroy the incentive to get YOUR job done (or even started) before those who don’t pay in advance.
And, what happens to your money if the contractor gets hurt (even dies) before actually starting your job?
There are more reasons not to pay a contractor or subcontractor in advance. Read Working with Subcontractors on my articles on Subcontractors.
Over the years, I believe I have made about every mistake in home building or remodeling that can be made. That's why I wrote my books and published my web site...so you wouldn't have to make the same mistakes.
Carl
Build a Small Interior Tropical Garden to Take Away the Winter Blues
By Mark J. Donovan
One way to deal with the cold and dark nights associated with snowy winters is to build a small indoor tropical garden area in your home. In our home we built a small interior garden in one of the corners of our family room. To create our garden oasis we used a few medium sized tropical rain forest plants, such as Dracaenas and Crotons, and a little back lighting.
We staged plants both at the floor level and on a small shelf to create a tiered look and to add depth to our mini interior tropical garden. In addition, we added some back lighting to give a comforting mood in the evening hours. We also added some color to the windows near our small interior garden by attaching a couple of witch balls to them.
The green tropical rain forest plants, such as the Dracaenas and Croton plants we used in our interior tropical garden, not only create a private tropical oasis for us, they also help to humidify and purify the air in our home. So if you’re looking to brighten up your dark winter evenings you may want to consider creating your own personal tropical sanctuary and adding your own unique personal touches.
New Nikon D3100 D-SLR Camera to Provide Higher Quality Home Improvement Pictures
By Mark J. Donovan
With some spare cash in my pockets from the holidays, I decided to go out and buy a Nikon D3100 D-SLR camera yesterday for my home improvement website pictures. The D-SLR acronym stands for “Digital Single Lens Reflex” and basically it means that the camera produces much higher quality photos compared to the standard pocket size digital camera. To do this they incorporate high tech sensor technology including CCD and CMOS circuits, and much larger lenses than the standard digital camera. Consequently they are much larger, offer much more functionality, and produce much better pictures than small digital cameras with the same Megapixel specifications.
I’ve been meaning to for some time to start taking some higher quality home improvement pictures and this new camera is just the ticket! It takes incredibly clear pictures and does so extremely quickly. Unlike my old camera, there are no missed shots with this one.
After my family and I read the manual and charged the battery we began experimenting with it last night taking pictures of almost anything we pointed it at, including the night sky. The quality of the pictures is simply amazing. Even with a night sky background the images are crystal clear. It’s not surprising considering the fact that it has 14.2 Megapixels, a far cry from my old pocket digital camera with 3.5 Megapixels.
Besides taking stunning photographs, the Nikon D3100 can also film movies in full 1080p High Definition, so I anticipate using it too in some of my home improvement videos that I post on HomeAdditionPlus.com, and my various video channels.
One of the nice things about D-SLR cameras is that you can mount different types of lenses on to them for wide angle shots or for objects that are far away. For now I only purchased the18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom-NIKKOR VR image stabilization lens, but my intention is to also buy the 55-200mm zoom vibration reduction lens in the next few months.
So expect some much cooler and higher quality home improvement photos in the days ahead, both on the HomeAddition Blog and HomeAdditionPlus.com
See
Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens 
House Size vs. Lot Size
We are looking to buy an irregular, triangularly shaped lot consisting of 6,098 square feet, or .14 of an acre (43,560 sq ft x 0.14 = 6,098).
I’m trying to find if we can build a 4500+/- sq.ft. home with a 3 car garage.
Will it fit?
Can you please help?
Thanks, Su
Su,
Here are the steps you can take to answer your question:
1. Get a scale map of the property from the Realtor or the town's tax assessor.
2. Go to the town zoning department to find out what zoning setbacks apply to the lot and draw the setbacks to scale on the plot plan.
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| Survey showing proposed house, easements, and setbacks. |
4. Re-size the floor plan to match the scale of your plot plan (using a copier or a simple image editor like "Paint"), cut out the floor plan, and lay it over your site plan.
If your house fits, the lot may still not be large enough due to additional zoning restrictions, so make sure you ask the zoning department about all of their requirements.
On my website, www.originalhome.com, you can find many 2-story Colonial and Cape home designs meeting your requirements, but there are many other home plan sites to choose from.
David Moore
Original Home Plans
HomeAdditionPlus.com Announces "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook"
HomeAdditionPlus.com's Unveils its Latest Product, the "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook"
By Mark J. Donovan
I just released my new "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook". It is chocked full of helfpul tips and secrets on how to install baseboard trim like the pros. The Ebook is 18 pages long and loaded with easy-to-read instructions and supporting photographs to enable the do-it-yourself homeowner to install his or her own baseboard trim, and avoid the high costs of hiring a finish carpenter.
The "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook" includes information on how to measure and select baseboard trim, as well as reviews the various types of baseboard trim on the market today. In addition, it provides detailed instructions on making the various miter joints necessary for achieving a professional baseboard trim installation, including how to make coped and scarfed joints. The "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook" also explains how to deal with transitions changes from room to room and from different floor heights.
The "Installing Baseboard Trim Ebook" is currently priced at an introductory offer of $15, so make sure to purchase it today if you have baseboard trim installation plans in the near future.
In Ground Fiberglass Pool
You are looking through the window at the crystal clear, sparkling water running over the waterfall into the pool. People are smiling in the pool and around it in the beautiful landscaping around the pool. This isn't a dream, it is your backyard!
Fiberglass pools are mostly constructed on an upside down mold and a gel coat is applied to the inside surface for the smoothness and color. Steps are also are also built as part of the shell. Fiberglass is then laminated over gel coat to desired thickness. Generally, your yard is excavated, plumbing installed, sand contoured to fit around shell is poured, the concrete deck around the pool is completed, and then the pool in installed.
There are different sizes and shaped to choose from. It may not be a large selection as these pools are large and mass produced. Once the pool is completed you can add the beautiful landscaping, slide, and diving board. Now is the time to relax in your own back yard!
Improving your home and your life only at Home Improvement Idea : http://home-improvement-idea.blogspot.com
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