To Paint or Not to Paint...

That is the question!

Custom colors may cost more up front or may not, depending on how your builder prices his home.  Steele Trademark Homes Inc. prefers to bid a home with custom colors.  Builder beige is a terrible canvas against which to furnish your newly built home.  Although painting may seem easy, figure how much your time is worth and leave it to the experts.  Why move into your new home and already have a honey-do list?

Putting all the pieces together

Building a house is kind of like putting together a puzzle. A lot of pieces have to fit before you can begin to see the whole picture. When you work with a great builder, the process will come together in a way that seems easy!

Banking on Building Your Dream

How do you get a loan to build your home?

• Talk with your builder.  He has had many construction loans and can point you in the right direction.  
• Use a local bank where you can put a face with a name.  If you have questions, you can chat face-to-face, and not with a call center half way around the world.  
• Your local bank also has the pulse of the community and your local suppliers.  
• Most banks will loan up to 85 percent of the appraised value of the home to build it.  This means that in most cases you will need some capital to build your home.  

Never put the cart in front of the horse and have your dream home built in your mind before you have your finances in order with the bank.  Pick a lot, pick a plan, pick a builder, and pick a bank.  Four important selections before you choose paint!

Immersion Building

Take a chance and involve yourself in the building of your new home.  It is an intimidating venture, but if you immerse yourself in it, you will have a better appreciation for your home and your builder.

Looking for the Right Pane?

A critical factor in the efficiency of a home is the type, size, and placement of windows through out the rooms.  A good builder will discuss with you what is best for your home.  While the number of windows on the house plan may look good, those may not fit with your specific lot or the situation of your home on that lot.  More windows does not always equal a better home.

When you consider your window choices, it is also important to factor in the weather conditions for the region in which your new home is being built.

There are many different types of windows available on the market: single hung, double hung, casement, sliding, fixed are just some of the types offered.  Be sure to ask you builder what kind he uses and why.  

Some builders make their window pane choice based on which will cause the least amount of pain to the their bottom line...  But as has been stated before:  You get what you pay for!


You can avoid the painful cost of having to prematurely replace your inferior window panes by understanding the best choice for your new home upfront.  Look to your builder for good advice...and see more about the world of windows here: http://www.atrium.com/

Good Things Come in Threes!

So you want to elevate your home beyond just a builder's spec home...  but there is that whole budget thing.  What are good choices to turn your basic home into a well-appointed home?





Three Interior Choices:

1. Upgraded kitchen cabinets, tops, and appliances
2. Hardwood floors
3. Interior trim

Three Exterior Choices:

1. Brick
2. Stone
3. Landscape (and an irrigation system to keep that landscaping looking great= **highly recommended!**)

Talk with your builder.  A good builder will listen to your wishes, and then will be honest with you about what you are able to accomplish within your budget.

Steps to Making Your Stairs Safe

While walking into a home with a gleaming hardwood staircase can be stunning, please keep in mind the safety factor with stairs.  Putting a thick pad and good quality carpet on your stairs can save you tons of money and heartache, especially if you have small children in your home.  A tumble down carpeted steps may land your child with some bumps and bruises, but a fall down those gleaming hardwood stairs will most likely land you in the ER.  Most people would agree that paying for an upgraded carpet and pad  is a better investment than paying for casts and stitches!

Hardwood stairs can be beautiful, but do require regular maintenance to keep them gleaming.  When properly cared for, i.e. "no shoe" policy and regular vacuuming, a well-carpeted staircase can last 10 years.

When it comes to the stairs in your home, it pays to take the proper steps, considering all of your home's inhabitants.

Which Wood Would We Want?

Wondering about which type of wood to use in your new home?  Here is a comparison/explanation of solid hardwood vs. manufactured wood.

Solid hardwood is a solid piece of wood from the top of the wear layer to the base of the plank.  (Tongue and groove has a wear layer.  It's the portion above where the wood is fastened.  On most hardwood this is typically 3/16-3/4 inches.)

Engineered hardwood flooring has a wear layer that varies in thickness based on the size, type, and species of hardwood chosen, and its sub-straight is made up of cross-bonded plywood which makes it more dimensionally stable.

Solid hardwood is more susceptible to moisture or lack of moisture.

With the finishes available today, a good engineered floor is less costly and more earth friendly (it uses less of a specific species, plus the plywood is made of recycled or otherwise wasted materials).

Today's finishes on hardwood flooring (either solid or engineered hardwood) are more durable than site finished applications.

Today's finishes, if properly cared for, will last a lifetime.

Ask what type of flooring your builder uses and why.

The Home Building Process: What would YOU like to know more about?

The purpose of this blog is it to answer as many questions a person might have while thinking about building a home, during the process, and after the home is complete.  Are there questions you have that we could answer for you?  Please let us know-- you can post a question in the comment box--, and they will be addressed in a timely manner.

Coming soon...
Which wood would we want? So you want to know about the differences between solid hardwoods and manufactured hardwood?  Check back on Monday to find out more!