Remodelers and homebuilders fall into one of three categories: Accounting driven, Marketing driven, or Construction driven. It is very important to know which kind of builder you are consulting with in order to know what to expect from them and their building processes.

Accounting Oriented Builder:

They are always fixed on their bottom line as they are constantly thinking, “How can we reduce our costs so we can maximize profit and still get the job from our competition?”Costs are always accumulated in construction by types and quality of products, quality of workmanship, amount and quality of service, how fast can the job be done and what can they not put in the bid  to later add as change orders at the end of the job?  Yes, they’re initial estimate will usually be less money but the end product will be of less quality, and change orders will bump the price up to at or more than what the experienced, reputable construction driven builder would have been.  In a remodel, living in the home while an accounting oriented builder works could be a nightmare. These types of builders are usually not worried about reputation and long term commitment as they’re intention is to make a lot of money and go to the next job.

Marketing Driven Builder:

These are the builders you notice through traditional advertising like magazines, newspapers, and billboards. They buy their way to the top of the social media network as they strive for top-of-mind awareness so you go to them first. Initially you will think that since they are advertising heavily, they must be doing a lot of remodels and new homes and produce great results. They will sell you on a home you love, but often your dreams won’t be met through implementation. That doesn’t really sound like the best builder. Always be weary of strong marketers who have no reputation or very little history.

Indoor air pollutants have increased over the past few decades for variety of reasons. Contributing to indoor air quality issues in homes are construction of more tightly sealed buildings, reduced ventilation rates to save energy, the use of synthetic building materials and furnishings, and increased use of chemical products such as pesticides, housekeeping supplies, and personal care products. The four basic factors affecting indoor air quality (IAQ) are indoor air pollutant sources; the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system; pollutant pathways; and occupants.

Moisture and Biologicals:

Moisture problems in homes can result in the growth or amplification of biological and microbial organisms like mold, mildew, dust mites and pet dander. Exposure to these organisms can increase the risk of allergic illness, trigger asthma, cause respiratory infections, or have other health effects. Common sources of moisture include high indoor humidity, plumbing leaks, and water leaks. Poorly maintained heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems can also contribute to moisture problems. To remedy the problem, the source of excess moisture must be found and fixed, and contaminated materials must be removed and discarded if they cannot be thoroughly cleaned.

In Salem, as well as most parts of Western Oregon, our weather is usually mild enough to allow certain remodeling projects and custom homes throughout the Fall and Winter without serious problems. In past years, Kaufman homes have begun many various size new homes, remodels and additions in October and November without significant problems. Ideally, if you can get the shell of the structure up and “dried-in” before mid-October, the remaining exterior work can dodge the storms, and the interior work can proceed unimpeded. If the roof must be removed, it is often easier to protect the house from snow than from Spring rains, since snow can be removed before melting.

When you start a Remodel or Custom Home is CRITICAL

Timing, however, is crucial. If a surprise storm brings a foot of wet snow or a week of sub-zero temperatures just after the basement or crawl space is excavated, you may incur costly delays or remedies in order to form and pour the foundation. On the other hand, the same storm an hour after the foundation is poured may be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

When it comes to heights for bath, kitchen, utility countertops or dining surfaces, the heights should be based on the needs of the homeowner. The main purpose for remodeling or building custom home is not just to have a new pretty kitchen, bath or utility room, but to also to make the living experience more enjoyable and comfortable.

Kitchen countertops

Kitchen counters serve as more than places to store appliances. You prepare food, wash dishes and perform other duties at the counter and its height makes a big difference in your ergonomic comfort. Standard heights have been adopted for the different countertop surfaces in the kitchen but your personal preferences and needs may make alternative measurements preferable.

Standard Countertop Height

The standard countertop height in a kitchen is 36 inches high. Cabinetry and appliances are designed to fit this height and average-sized people will find this a comfortable work height. This specific measurement is not exact; tile or stone countertops may add ½ to one inch to the height, while Formica or other materials come closer to the ideal height.

NW Natural Gas has a great website on energy saving issues as well as new trends in the building industry.  They are very proactive on presenting new natural gas technologies to save energy.  It is interesting to note that in spite of NW Natural providing ways to save on energy costs, gas prices in Oregon have still decreased 26% in the last 3 years! Below are two articles that I thought were interesting. Please leave comments and let me know what you think as well.

Solar in the Willamette Valley

The article (found here) on Solar Assisted Absorption Chilled Water systems shows the possibilities and yet challenges to solar energy.  While this article talks about a specific application, solar chilling, I thought that it would be important to speak about solar in general. Kaufman Homes does not have any experience in installing any kind of solar energy systems because of our climate and lack of interest. In the sun deprived Willamette Valley, where we do most of our building, solar does not at this time seem to be cost efficient unless government subsidies greatly assists in the cost.  We know subsidies costs all of us taxpayers and in the long run diminishes the value of solar.  I am sure that as technology advances solar will still have a place in helping America solve its energy issues but until technology improves I am not sure that solar will be that viable in the Willamette Valley.

In Floor Radiant Heating

The in floor, radiant, hydronic heating system article (found here), was very well written explaining the merits of liquid delivered heating systems.  Several years ago Kaufman Homes built a home with this type of heating system using lightweight concrete poured over the piping system.  This system was quite costly to initially install but the homeowners have been very happy with the comfort level and the heating efficiency.  There were several issues that were encountered:  if you are gone for an extended period and want to turn down the heat it will take a fairly long time to get the heat back up to a comfort level when you return.  Some of the electronics now available VIA our computers or cell phones can probably solve that situation.  Cooling your home especially where there are extreme high temperatures can be a challenge.  Also the equipment, boilers and pumps were in this case installed in the basement of the home and with the rigid concrete and tile floor,  we had some very slight noise issues in some of the areas.  It was overall an impressive system and as technology advances and placement issues evolve it will surely become more cost effective.

As baby boomer aging has become more real, Kaufman Homes has become more aware of what should be done to make a custom home a place to age comfortably. Whether your goal is to build a custom home or remodel an existing home, we can enable you to live out the rest of your years without having to seek suitable accommodations.  We also know that even if you are young now you will get older, you develop physical problems which may limit mobility or friends and family may come to your home and have mobility issues.

Single story homes have always been easier to age in place, but at least if you have a two story make sure there is a master bedroom on the main floor.  Consider a home without steps, no sunken living areas; tri-levels are an issue, keep driveways to a minimum of grade for ease of driving up and ease of walking not to mention ice.

Don’t be moved by age. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), older homeowners overwhelmingly prefer to age-in-place, meaning to live at home safely, independently and comfortably.

This is the second part of the blog post series on selecting a home remodeling or custom home contractor. The first post can be found here. In this part of the series we are going to look at what questions to ask potential contractors as well as how to compare estimates from two different contractors.

Asking Questions of potential Contractors

At this point, it is time to schedule meetings with the remaining contractors. This is a great time to learn about the contractor first-hand. Take note on his timeliness, professionalism, personality, and communication style. If there are shortcomings now, you can be certain it will get worse. Maybe most importantly, does it feel like you click?Again, remember to take notes

Over the years Kaufman Homes has used many different kinds of siding depending on Customer request, types of applications, desired home style and for economic reasons.  Past experience has shown that some siding’s can be problems such as LP siding back in 80’s and 90’s.  Kaufman works really hard at analyzing new products and the potential problems that may exist.

Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement siding comes in an array of textures that give the appearance of actual types of wood. It is more durable than wood since it is termite-resistant, water-resistant, non-flammable, and guaranteed to last 50 years (depending on the manufacturer). Fiber cement siding is composed of cement, sand or fly ash, and cellulose fiber. You will find that fiber cement siding is typically more expensive than vinyl but less than wood siding. It is installed over exterior wall sheathing on building paper or weather resistive barrier. Factory painting is available and generally warranted for 25 years.

Although more expensive than vinyl, fiber cement siding is considerably less expensive than wood. Fiber cement siding has become popular because it requires little maintenance and can have a natural, wood-like appearance.

Kaufman Homes receives a lot of inquiries saying they would like to consider building a new home or remodel an existing home, and how much would that cost? Most people are in the fact finding stage when we get this call as they have been assessing their needs like: “we need more space”, “our current home is outdated” or “It would be nice to have”.

Fact finding questions we ask:

1. How did you find out about Kaufman Homes?
2. Have you sold your existing home in this area?
3. Do you have a home to sell and how much do you think it is worth? Have you contacted a realtor for an appraisal? Is this same realtor able and willing to help you evaluate your situation?
4. Have you been out looking at homes and have you found any you like? If so what would need to be done to this home to meet your needs and expectations?
5. Do you own a lot to build on?
6. Do you like the current area you live in and does the home meet most of your needs?
7. Have you thought about remodeling your existing home to meet your needs i.e.: re-decorating, rearranging portions of the home and or adding on. How would you pay for you re-do, equity loan, refinancing or personal cash?
8. Have you been to a bank and qualified for a new home loan, remodel of existing or purchasing and remodeling an existing home? Be sure and find out their terms and requirements? A trusted banker can also give you good financial advice considering what you want or would like to do. Bankers are now very cautious and conservative and will not let you do something you cannot afford or is not good for the long term.

Misconceptions About Cost and Economy

Because of this economy I sense there are misconceptions about new building costs being related to or near in line with the cost of buying an existing home. Prices of existing homes have substantially decreased in relation to the abundance of homes for sale and the amount of people able to qualify for purchase. It is a buyer’s market for those who can qualify for a loan, ones who have sold their home or don’t need to sell their home and have substantial money to put down or will pay all cash. Even those who would desire a new home find banks doing appraisals that are substantially less than what it costs to build the desired new home.

We are going to be doing a two part series about how to go about selecting the right contractor for you whether you are doing a remodel, building a home, or doing small projects. This is a very important process that should not be taken lightly. We know that there are a lot of unknowns and questions that you have about your project and if you select the right builder they will be able to help you answer those questions. So take your time to read the following post and update we will post in the following week.

UPDATE: Part II can be found here

The following post deals with the most common myths that I hear as a builder all the time. I hope to once and for all stop these myths from continuing. Whether you are doing a home remodel or a custom home these apply. In fact, these apply to almost any project that you could do on your home.

Myth: “I can buy the materials myself and save money”

This is not a professional way of doing business and for good reason. If you supply materials, you are risking not ordering enough for the job. Running short can hold up the job. Poor quality products will also affect the final product. Unfamiliar suppliers can hold up the schedule and cost more money. The costs of mistakes will be passed on to the homeowner and would cost more than if the contractor did the ordering in the first place.

Whether you are wanting to do a home remodel or build a custom home, this is a great list of items to keep in mind. We know that over the years there are lessons that we have learned. The list below are just some of the lessons that we would like to share with you. This list also serves as what you should also be thinking of when starting a home remodeling project or custom home because more often than not, these items don't come up until it is too late to tackle a problem that could have been brought up at the very beginning.

Once you have selected a contractor, and signed the contract, the job is ready to go.  The project will be a team effort and you are the main player.  There are a few things to know in order to help keep the project going on a positive track.

When I first started thinking about Kaufman Homes and the service we provided I started to list items that we have either heard about from other customers who made the right choice of using us versus someone else. I took a lot of the items that they spoke about and made a list. I then expanded the list to reflect what we see both with general contractors (like ourselves) and the sub-contractors that we have worked with in the past and currently work with. Below is that list.

Traits of Flaky Contractors:

1. High Pressure Sales
2. No Office or Land Line
3. No or Very Low Overhead
4. Odd Hours
5. No References
6. Last Chance Price Reduction
7. Unusual Payment Terms
8. No Written Contract or Estimate
9. Want substantial or all the money upfront
10. Pricing or Schedule too Good to be True
11. Unclear Specifications or Contract
12. Gut Feelings
13. Poor Workmanship and Incomplete Work
14. Permits By Owner
15. No Warranty
16. Disorganized

Traits of a Good Contractor:

1. Credible and Trustworthy
2. Organized and Timely
3. Detailed Specifications and Contract
4. Professional and Community Outreach
5. Certified with Various Trade Organizations
6. Quality Materials and Labor
7. Welcomes Questions
8. Protects You and Your Home

I really hope that this is a list that you can use to compare the contractor that you are using on your home remodel or custom home and that you find that he or she falls in the "good contractor".