Left Hand or Right Hand Design in Your New House?

We design houses and build houses and whenever we sit down with a client, we ask them if they are right-handed or left-handed?  Perhaps a quizzical stare is the response, but when we start explaining why, it becomes pretty clear what the purpose of the question is.

1. When you walk into a room, how do you want the door to swing and which hand do you normally grab the knob with?
2. How do you cook in the kitchen and how do you access your kitchen cabinets?  Depending on where the appliances are, the door swing will be affected by whether you are right or left-handed when you go to grab a pot from the cabinet.
3. If you have a framed opening into a room and want to place the light switches, I will want to know what hand you are.
4. What direction should the sliding patio door slide?  Again, if you are left-handed it will slide to your left. If right-handed, slide to the right.

There are many aspects of a house design that should take into account the particulars of being right or left-handed.  If you are like me, who is left-handed, I find many tools, utensils, etc. all made for a right-handed person.  We have to adapt and adjust.  So when you are  looking to build anew house, you should consider how you use all the rooms, doors, cabinets, switches, etc. and does your builder take into consideration how many components in a house are affected by whether you are right or left-handed.

Move Into Your New House for the Holidays? Start Now!

Do you want to move into your new house before the Thanksgiving holiday?  Even though it’s just getting warm now in the spring here in northwest Indiana, you need to think ahead to fall if a new house is in your plans! 

We have worked with some clients over the past winter and readied the plans and costs for their new house.  It has been very frustrating to get some clients to move  forward and start construction on their new houses this year.    I know that some are dealing with sale of an existing home, but you have to decide if its worth pushing the completion date into NEXT YEAR!  Obviously that is a financial decision that needs to be made if that is what you are waiting for to start building your new home.  

If you continue to wait, the length of time to construct a new house needs to be remembered.  Building a new home takes around 6 months after permits are received.  So, if we apply for permit right now and have one in 2 weeks, we are starting construction on May 1.  Add 6 months to that and we are completing you new home on November 1.  And that’s if you start right now. 

So, if you plans were to move into your new home for Thanksgiving, you better get motivated and look at starting construction soon!

30 Years of Effort – 15 Minutes of Fame?

I had the good fortune to be recently be featured as one  of the “world-class architects” in the South Shore region which encompasses northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.  The article in Shore Magazine can be seen at this site: http://bit.ly/gbhRJX.  Considering I have been in this business for over 30 years, yet started my own firm in the past 6 years, this is interesting to see how one’s efforts are noted and rewarded. 

When I started my own practice in 2005, I wanted to become involved in residential work and learn the ins and outs of this industry.  I have realized that my talents lie in traditional architecture for residential design and feel most comfortable in this design style.  What has been most gratifying is working with clients that I have educated in good architecture for their homes and how it can help them achieve their ‘dream home” and know that they are happy in their new surroundings.  The results in that effort have been clients that are all positive referrals for me.  That alone has made the effort worthwhile,  for without a satisfied client, there is no satisfaction in this business.  It’s what keeps us going. 

The other contribution that I feel makes for a great architectural experience is having a sensible cost approach to a project and being respectful of the client’s budget.  That is also the bigger challenge in most assignments.  Teamed with a good builder at G&K Develpment, I feel that brings a very well-rounded approach to semi-custom and custom designs for new homes.  We’ll see how those 30+ years of experience translate in this fleeting moment of fame.  I’ll just keep doing what I have been doing for over 30 years!

What Are You Waiting For?

I keep predicting that interest rates have bottomed out and that now is the time to buy or build.  I have been proven wrong over the past few months as interest rates continue to go down.  I’m old enough that I remember interest rates in the teens (try 18%).  My first home purchase was in 1982 and we thought we had a good rate at 12%.  Subsequent to that, mortgage rates were forever in the 7% to 8% range and that was considered the norm. 

It hasn’t been until recently that rates in the 5% range started to appear and became available.  15 year loans are below 4% and 30 year rates are just over 4%.  If there ever was a time to buy or build, this is it. 

We are fortunate, in that we actually have 3 homes in the queue to start-up for construction before winter and into early next year.  Most of these buyers have an existing houses to sell, and are making the leap into building a new home. Lot prices are very competitive as the declining real estate market seems to have hit lots, as house prices in this area (northwest Indiana) have stabilized to an extent.  These buyers have recognized that the interest rates may not be this low for quite awhile and are jumping on the home building “band wagon”.  The other trend we are seeing are banks that are willing to make construction-perm loans that have the same interest rate through construction and into the final mortgage.  One bank we work with has even allowed the buyer to make a one time interest rate adjustment for a nominal fee after the loan is ready to convert to the final mortgage.  The market is driving the rates and options like this.

What are you waiting for?  Now is the time to build or buy!

The “Six Month” and “Six Week” Rules

When someone asks G&K how long it takes to build a house, we typically estimate that it will take six months after receiving the building permit.  This timeline may be affected, depending on when we actually break ground for the foundations.  If we start in December, the weather will slow us up slightly, yet construction will continue over the winter.  My partner Steve Kelly, who has been building homes for more than 20 years, always refers to the period of completing the finishes of the house as the “six week rule.”  Essentially, the house should be completed within six weeks after the drywall has been installed, taped and sanded.  This means that the prime painting, flooring installation, trim carpentry, cabinet and countertop installation, and final painting should take six weeks to complete.

Remember, the design and pricing of the house is estimated before the permit process.  The layout and design of the house has to be settled, and the final pricing on the approved design needs to be completed.  The final pricing is determined upon several features, including the selection of all the cabinets (and layout), plumbing and lighting fixtures, appliances, finish materials, trim, bathroom and closet accessories, etc.  These all need to be selected in a timely fashion.  When we propose a schedule to complete a house for our clients, we give them a timetable as to when they will need to have the various components of the house selected.  It starts very early in the building process with the exterior materials and color, roof type and color, and window layout and types.

During that 6 month period, we get to know our clients very well.  We learn how they will use their home as well as what types of design they like and dislike.  The final six weeks usually become quite a hectic period for everyone as the clients finally get to see the whole house come together.  However, it is quite an exciting experience for us to see our clients’ reactions.

-Nick

Building a “Parade” Home

G&K is in the process of building a new home for a couple.  The construction of this new home happens to coincide with our local Building Industries Association Parade of Homes here in Lake County, Indiana.  Since we were planning on completing the house this June, and the Parade is in mid-June, we decided to ask the client if we could include the home in the parade.  This is G&K’s first entry into providing a parade home, and the coincidental schedule of this new, pre-sold house and the Parade intrigued us.  We were excited about the value of marketing the quality of our work to the hundreds of people that will walk through our home and balancing that with exceeding our customers’ expectations.

A Parade home typically needs to be fully furnished and landscaped, so the challenge of meeting the schedule is even more pronounced.  Typically, when G&K is finishing a home for a customer, the furnishings are not usually a concern for the builder.  So, we were initially planning on finishing the home, empty of course, by mid-June.  Now, however, we have to accelerate the schedule to be done earlier in order to completely furnish and accessorize the house.  The impact of the schedule acceleration is at least one, if not two, weeks.  In addition, we had to inform the customer to assess how much of their existing furniture will be moved and how much of the furniture will be new.  That generated a list of questions and even more decisions that the new homeowners were probably going to put off until they were moving in.

With less than three weeks remaining, the trim carpenters, tile setters, and masons were all on-site.  The concrete and landscape contractors were waiting to begin their work.  The garage was full of cabinets, there was trim material throughout the house, and it was a race to the finish.  The start of the parade is now less than a week away, and we are excited to show you the finished product.

The Parade of Homes begins June 5^th and continues through June 13^th.  G&K would love for you to check out our beautiful home called “The Kathleen.”  You can find out more information about the Parade of Homes here: www.nwiparadeofhomes.com.  Once again, thank you for all of your support of G&K Development.  We are looking forward to sharing our first Parade experience with you!

-Nick

Do I Need an Architect for My New Home?

Many future home buyers may find themselves asking the question, What is required to draw up a set of house plans? Where you live will determine the answer.  Many states do not require a licensed architect to draw, sign, and seal your plans for building permit purposes.  In Indiana, a licensed architect is not a requirement.  Due to our location in northwest Indiana, G&K also looks at residential projects in Illinois.  The state of Illinois is different from Indiana in that it does require a licensed architect to prepare, sign, and seal your plans for permit.  The biggest difference of having an architect prepare house plans is the cost of the design and the construction plans.  An architect will typically charge more for a set of plans than a builder or a residential designer.

The next question to ask when building a house is what the requirements are in order to obtain a building permit in your municipality.  Most residential plans require foundation and floor plans and elevations of all 4 sides of the home as well as a section through the building showing all the major construction components and light fixture/switch locations.  Those plans will also show the location of all sinks and cabinets along with the overall layout of the major components in the house.  A detailed set of plans, however, could show every aspect of the home including cabinet details, room and hardware schedules, and specifications for all the material in the house.  In addition to defining all the aspects of the home, these detailed plans also cost more to produce.  The range of costs for providing this type of detail can run into the thousands of dollars and more.

What an architect brings to the table is the training and experience in the design disciplines and an understanding of the engineering principles that provide a well rounded approach to the needs of the client.  Since I am a licensed architect and my business partner is a licensed contractor, we can provide you with a specific, detailed design for your house depending on where you decide to build. G&K brings both the design and construction aspects into the picture when designing a home.  We can provide a simple set of plans or a very detailed set of plans.  I can be reached at nick@gk-development.com to explore and answer your additional questions on this topic.

-Nick

Floor Plans – The Internet and Beyond

New house plans can be found in several different places, including the internet.  In fact, there are so many floor plan websites to choose from that you may find yourself wondering exactly how many plans are out there.  At G&K, we access several popular websites (such as www.designbasics.com, www.coolhouseplans.com, and www.builderhouseplans.com) for options to consider.  A floor plan can typically be purchased for around $1,000.  After purchasing the plan, it is yours to change and build on, if you so desire.  Plan services can also provide customization of their plans.  As a builder, once G&K purchases a plan, we are given the rights to duplicate that plan and build it in repeated applications.

G&K just completed a Home Building Seminar, and part of our presentation covers how the internet is a great place to get ideas and to see what you like and don’t like.  Another aspect to consider when looking at a floor plan is how it will fit on the lot.  Finding the perfect floor plan may also require looking for a specific width lot to build on.  A builder can determine what issues may arise by utilizing a specific floor plan on a lot.

G&K can also do a “reverse look-up” for a plan.  At our seminar, I was asked if we could find a house plan for an existing home that a potential client had seen while out looking at houses.  Based on exterior pictures and a general description of the interior layout, it is quite possible to find the floor plan of a current home if the house was completed in the past few years.  Builders utilize stock plans for many of their homes, so it is not unusual to find a plan of a house in a recently built subdivision or lot.  Additional ideas can evolve from floor plans of houses that builders have built in the past.

So, if you are thinking about building a new home, start searching the internet.  It can provide you with some great floor plan ideas to get you started on your home building process.

-Nick

Choosing a Lot

If you are interested in building a new home, one of the first things you will probably do is look at various potential living areas.  Building a new home usually requires looking at a newer subdivision where several lots are still available.  Other opportunities may arise in more established subdivisions with one or two vacant lots, but those are typically harder to find.

Some essential points in looking for a lot to build on are: width, utilities, value of adjacent homes, flat or sloping grades, and how clear the lot is.  All of these items will affect the cost of building on the lot, and it is essential to understand the market value of the homes in the subdivision.  Further, you will need to find out what the covenants, restrictions and easements are for the subdivision and the lot itself.  Those requirements will typically describe if a subdivision allows fences, certain types of pools, outbuildings, and what architectural finishes are allowed on the outside of the house.  Minimum square footages are also dictated, and types of homes (such as ranch, 1-1/2, and 2 story) are tied in with those square footage requirements.  Bi-level, tri-level, and quad level homes may not be allowed in some subdivisions.

It will definitely help to have a builder look at your potential lot to discuss how the layout of the lot may impact your home design.  Many new home designs, especially those with 3-car garages, are made for wide lots.  If you desire to have a 3-car side-loaded garage, a wide lot is required in order to accommodate a full driveway that you can pull out of without doing extensive maneuvering.  (Side note: G&K recommends that you allow for a 24’ wide driveway in a side-loaded arrangement.)

Subdivided lots also have building setbacks on all 4 sides and may even dictate the floor/foundation elevations to fit in with the overall layout of all the houses.  All of these items are considerations when looking for a lot to build on.

-Nick

Spec Houses – What Are They and Why We Build Them

My business partner Steve and I started G&K with a goal to expand into model homes and speculative residential building.  We saw it as an investment in purchasing improved lots in select subdivisions with the intent on building a specification (or “spec”) house on one or two lots.  After building the houses, we planned on selling them and eventually building and selling homes on the other lots as well.  Remember, this was back in 2004, and the housing “boom” was well underway.  Subdivisions were being developed left and right in the Chicago metropolitan area, and northwest Indiana was no exception.

Steve, having years of experience in the semi-custom and custom home market, always said that in order for a builder to survive, he or she needed a spec home to sell.  Building a spec home is a subjective process since we are essentially “guessing” on what a customer in this area is looking for and what will interest him or her.  The same applies to the house’s overall layout as well as the finishes and amenities inside the house.  Steve and I also have to consider the finances of a typical consumer and keep the house within reasonable market value.

The time frame of building a spec house is a minimum of 7 to 9 months, including design.  If we choose to use and modify a previously-designed layout, then the design process goes quicker.  The normal construction duration that G&K uses as an average is 6 months from receipt of a building permit.  Once construction starts on a spec home, we immediately start marketing the home.  The issue with a spec house is that sometimes we are progressing on the construction, but the house is not selling.  In those situations, we tend to drag things out; the construction on a spec house could last over a year if there is not a sale.  In some cases, we have even made structural changes to a house in order to complete a sale.  We also tend to stop construction on a house after drywall, trim, and cabinets are installed.  The hope is that the buyer will select the carpeting, tile, and paint to finish the house.  Eventually, a buyer does come along, and the final finishes are completed.

-Nick