builder: Cost Plus Can Cost More
- 10/28/11 11:43 AM
One of the insider secrets of the building industry is that Cost Plus contracts often lead to a more expensive home than Fixed Price contracts. Time and time again we see families who want to “beat the system” by doing a Cost Plus contract they will get a better house for less money. In most cases, the reality is much different. Cost Plus contracts lead buyers into a false sense of security so they feel comfortable changing their mind, adding elements and features, going over budget or just redoing something. Often they fail to see the subsequent consequences of these decisions … (0 comments)
builder: Free Newsletter
- 09/24/11 06:01 PM
We publish a monthly electronic newsletter. We provide this free to our friends and families and we NEVER share your informationn with third party companies.
If you wish to subscribe to our monthly enewsletter the link is - https://app.expressemailmarketing.com/Survey.aspx?SFID=103992
A sample of our most recent newsletter is here - http://www.garabedianproperties.com/Info/issue.pdf
We provide information on designing and building your new custom home, renovating of your current home and industry insider information on how to care for you existing home.
Please call or message us with any questions you may have about subscribing.
Michael Garabedian
… (0 comments)
builder: Home Design Mistakes - #1 - Single Purpose Rooms
- 11/20/10 04:50 PM
Over the years, builders, designers and architects witness patterns develop as they work with families in designing and building custom homes. These patterns combined with the feedback we receive from the hundreds of families we work with, helps give us insight into the "dos" and "don'ts" of designing a custom home. We call these "don'ts" Home Design Mistakes or HDMs. The builder and architect are tremendous resources in guiding families through this process and helping them learn from those who have gone before them. This series will focus on some of the most common HDMs families have made when designing and building … (3 comments)
builder: Its Not My Body You Want
- 11/12/10 05:40 PM
When you hire a builder you are not hiring him or her for their body. Although that would be very flattering if you were, the reality is that builders are sought out for their mind.
You are not paying your builder to make phone calls, you are not paying him to unlock your house so workers can work, you are not paying him to order materials and you sure aren't paying him to hammer boards together. Any handy man or executive assistant could do all those tasks. Now please don't get me wrong, those are all tasks related to a builder's … (2 comments)
builder: Where is that water coming from?
- 10/24/10 11:31 AM
One of the biggest mysteries with home ownership is when a water leak is discovered. We take dozens of calls every year from families who have leaks that they are unsure where the water is coming from. Much to their surprise, we can often diagnose and remedy these issues in relatively short order. Most Common Culprits When we investigate water leaks, we find they often come from some very common places; 1 - Cracks in the masonry (brick, stone, stucco) - Although the cracks don't look big, a prolonged exposure to rain can allow enough water to work its way into … (3 comments)
builder: Why 74 Feels Like 82
- 09/06/10 04:43 PM
Many times when I visit with families, I will make a side comment about the temperature in our home and their eyes get wide with wonderment. They don't understand how we can be comfortable with the thermostat at 78 during the summer when they have theirs at 74 and are miserable. The Problem The secret is that it is not the temperature but the humidity that makes you uncomfortable in your home. This is why 78 degrees in Houston feels so much worse than 99 degrees in Palm Springs. Houston has humid air while Palm Springs is hot and dry. For years, … (3 comments)
builder: Cheap Gas?
- 06/06/10 02:13 AM
Summer is here and Americans are hitting the highways for family road trips. This brings to mind a story of an imaginary family on an imaginary road trip and two imaginary gas stations. Dad was driving along I-35 towards the beautiful Texas Hill Country (all of Texas is beautiful, however for this story we will focus on just one area). He noticed his tank was getting low in gas so he pulled off into a town we will call Texasville. He drove into a brand new Lexon gas station. The Lexon was new, clean and bustling with activity. Before filling up, … (0 comments)
builder: Don't Play Without Your Quarterback
- 05/09/10 09:01 AM
A football team would never go on the field without their quarterback. Successful game plans and winning teams are led by proven quarterbacks. A quarterback does not become proven by luck or happenstance. It takes years of hard work and extra effort to become a leader in the NFL. This also relates to how important it is to have a proven builder in place early in your building process can expedite your home building experience. The Best The best quarterbacks are those who spend hours studying films, reviewing game plans, practicing and tweaking plays so the entire team is ready for … (3 comments)
builder: Do Small Builders Only Build Big Homes?
- 04/18/10 01:34 AM
Many times when I share my profession with someone, they immediately say "Oh, you build all those big homes". Although it is nice to be acknowledged for our work, it is frustrating that this common misconception keeps many families from enjoying the satisfaction of working with a small custom builder. This misconception persists due to some realities that govern our industry. Here are some of factors that are at work; Lot Prices The least expensive lots are often found in large master planned communities. The economies of scale in these developments combined with selling the lots off very quickly allows for … (0 comments)
builder: Two + Two = Nine
- 04/08/10 04:53 AM
Add CommentOne of the hardest aspects of construction for home buyers to understand is how homes of similar size and room counts can have so many variances in their respective prices. In one of my continuing education classes Steve Zbranek, our instructor, placed a very simple drawing on the board which helps illustrate the quandary homeowners face when reviewing pricing on their home. Example Please note the examples below. Structure A measures 10' x 10' for a total size of 100 square feet in size. This creates a total of 40 linear feet of wall space. Structure B measures 2' x … (0 comments)
builder: You Don't Have To Spend A Million Dollars
- 02/15/10 02:55 PM
You don't have to spend a million dollars to have a custom built home. One of the most common misconceptions about custom home builders is that they only build expensive homes. The reality is most custom homes cost much less than a million dollars.
What is a custom home? A custom home is when a family works with a builder to design the floor plan, select the site and designate the amenities and features of their new home based upon their own decisions and budget. The plans can be designed from scratch or modifications of an existing plan. … (2 comments)
builder: Return The Favor
- 02/15/10 02:53 PM
Hidden Efforts One of the lesser known aspects of this profession is how much time and energy a builder will invest behind the scenes to give a family answers to what are seemingly simple questions. When you ask a builder a question he can make one of two choices; 1 - Throw out a number. Although this may satisfy your desire to know, the odds are it is not a very accurate cost as there are tens of thousands of variables in pricing out a home. If a builder throws out a low number he risks angering you or wasting your … (1 comments)
builder: Trading Homes Is Easier Than You Think (Part 3 of 3)
- 12/06/09 03:23 AM
One of the largest hurdles families face in the search for a new home is what to do about the home they are currently living in. We hope this three part series helps illustrate how trading a home can benefit a family. The first of this series discusses the most common hurdles families face when seeking to move to a new home. The second part discussed how a new home builder offering a Trade In Your Home program can help overcome these challenges. This third part of the series will discuss how the steps of a trade program work. Where to … (0 comments)
builder: Trading Your Home Is Easier Than You Think (Part 2 of 3)
- 11/28/09 03:47 AM
One of the largest hurdles families face in the search for a new home is what to do about the home they are currently living in. We hope this three part series helps illustrate how trading a home can benefit a family. The first of this series discussed the most common hurdles families face when seeking to move to a new home. This second part discusses how a new home builder offering a Trade In Your Home program can help overcome these challenges. The third part will discuss how a trade program works. What Is Trading Trading your home is when … (0 comments)
builder: Trading Homes Is Easy (Part 1 of 3)
- 11/25/09 11:14 AM
One of the largest hurdles families face in the search for a new home is what to do about the home they are currently living in. We hope this three part series helps illustrate how trading a home can benefit a family. The first of this series discusses the most common hurdles families face when seeking to move to a new home. The second part will discuss how a new home builder offering a Trade In Your Home program can help overcome these challenges. The third part will discuss how a trade program works. Hurdles To Moving (Part One) Two Mortgages … (0 comments)
builder: The Death Of The Media Room?
- 07/29/09 05:49 AM
The Rage For decades, media rooms have been the rage. They started as bonus space above the garage and morphed into massive spaces with a dozen speakers, multiple seating levels, 120" screens, $5,000 leather seats, wet bars, popcorn machines and much more. The desire to recreate the theater experience at home was a powerful motivation for families to pour money into these rooms and for audio/video companies to develop entire lines of premium equipment, lighting and furniture to fill up these spaces. Over The Garage In the first generation, media rooms stared out over the garages as it was cost effective to finish … (0 comments)
One of the insider secrets of the building industry is that Cost Plus contracts often lead to a more expensive home than Fixed Price contracts. Time and time again we see families who want to “beat the system” by doing a Cost Plus contract they will get a better house for less money.
;)
;)
