Construction contract

In any type of home repair or if you are going to build a new house it is just good business sense to demand a contract be drawn up between both parties.  A contract will not only offer the builder protection it will also offer the customer protection.  It is very critical that bot parties understand and sign all parts of the documents.  If there is something in the contract you do not understand do not hesitate to ask.  In my experience of building homes, I can’t stress this enough. Many times the customer will ask for us to include certain provisions that is important to them, so what I am saying is it needs to be a good mutual contract of terms that everyone is happy with.  With out having a legal knowledge when you first read a contract it can be sometimes a little tough with the terminology, but it should be written in a manor that you can decipher.  Generally a contract will start of with the legal description, address of the property.  You  want to read over these and make sure they are correct.  The agreed upon price will be listed.  There should be an area that will state what the work is being done, In our case the contract would be for building a new house and any certain provisions or attachments that would be with the contract.  There will also be an area that covers who is financing the project and those terms, as well as how the insurance is covered during the course of construction. A good contract should spell out the warranty for the project and how that is to be handled.  A good constructed contract will go a long ways with you and your project administrator towards a positive building experience.

The shape of the building industry

People ask me all the time about the building industry and what kind of shape is it in.  I can personally only speak for my area I build in which is the Oklahoma City metro area.  Building here remains strong if you drive up and down the housing additions in the area you can see what I mean.  We have a good  diverse job base not relying on just any one job sector.  Back in the 1980’s when we were what a lot of people at that time thought to much reliant on the oilfield industry.  When that sector shut down we lost a lot of home buyers.  We now seem to have a much more stable job corp.  If you watch the news and read the articles in all the home building magazines out there you would definitely believe the sky is falling.  Unfortunately the areas in the country that housing is still moving at a decent pace, all get lumped in with the areas that are in a funk.  Interest rates are approximately 5% which is outstanding.  So if you are thinking about building or buying a new home I can’t imagine with rates like they are when would be a better time to make that move.  Come out and see what your local builders and us here at Montgomery Homes Inc. can do for you.   

First builder/client meeting

Many of our customers and primarily in the beginning stages of talking to us about building a house will ask the question what do I need to bring to our first initial meeting.  I am going to talk about some of the items to have and or to be thinking about when you set out to talk to a builder.  Do you have your own land already or are you interested in one of the builders lots or subdivisions that he or she builds in.  Think about the direction in which you would like your house to face.  Many times people have not thought about this until asked by the builder and it might have a bearing on perhaps if you are putting in a pool with respect to sun angles as an example.  Another item to have available is a targeted price range of house so the builder can recommend to you as to which subdivisions might be best suited for you.  I always tell my future customers if you have a wish list of items and features you would like to incorporate into your new home to have that available you never know when many or perhaps all can be worked into the project to fit your budget.  If you have an idea of the type of floor plan and any pictures or renderings of the outside architectural style this is very helpful, because as you will find out there can be a variation in cost depending on style and level of detail you might be looking for.  If you have already been preapproved for a loan bring a copy of that.  I know when potential customers provide me with a copy of this it shows me that they are serious about making a commitment to do business.  Now lets talk a little bit about what to expect out of your potential builder because I am a firm believer in that the builder/client relationship is a definite two way street.  Do not be afraid to ask the builder to provide references of past customers and do take the time to call and talk to them after all they were in your shoes at one time.  Upon your first meeting are you meeting directly with the builder or are you just getting to meet with one of their agents or project managers.  I believe if you are going to trust the builder with building your dream home that you have the right to talk directly with them.  Ask to see some of the builders houses at different stages of construction and remember do not be afraid to ask what you think might be a dumb question.  Remember the only dumb questions are the ones you do no ask.  Ask the builder about how they do their financing and if you wish call and talk to the banker that provides financing for their projects because you do not want to trust your project to a builder that is not in good financial shape because this will truly leave you with a bad taste in your mouth if it happens to you.  So remember this relationship you are about to enter into with a builder is what I would call the closest thing to a marriage that you will have outside of your own marriage so do your homework and expect your builder to do the same for you and I assure you as well as our many past clients this will be a fun endeavor for you.

Insulation

I am going to talk a little bit here about a very important aspect of a homes comfort level. If you are building a new house or doing a home improvement project insulation is an area that you should certainly not overlook.  Today’s energy prices just seem to keep on going higher with no apparent end in sight.  Since I am a new home builder most of what I say here will pertain to new construction.  When your new house is being framed up it is not to early to start thinking of the insulation process.  It is a good idea to use a plate sealer under the 2 x 4 sill plate that is attached to your slab.  There are places when your walls are being framed up in the tees (where 2 walls meet at an intersection) and at corners that if not insulated prior to installing the exterior wall sheathing will probably in all honesty not be insulated properly.  We like to insulate these areas when we are framing so that we can be assured they are done.  There are different methods for insulation walls, batt insulation composed of either fiberglass or rock wool this type is easy to install and many do it your selves will choose this type.  Blow in fiberglass insulation blow in cellulose insulation and blow in foam insulation. Blow in types are best suited for new homes as it is done prior to installing drywall and because special equipment is needed, it is best left up to the professional.  R-value of insulation is its effectiveness for keeping heated air outside in the summer time and inside in the winter.  Basically when installed correctly the higher the R-value the better the performance.  So why wouldn’t you choose the highest rated insulation on the market, well cost could be an issue, but also it is possible to over insulate a home.  Homes need to be able to breathe. All cracks around windows and doors need to be sealed properly prior to any drywall work being done.I reommend when building a new house to have your insulation contractor go ahead and do a energy caulking package which will seal around all wire holes drilled in to the wall plates, usually will include caulking all interior corners of walls and top and bottom plates.  I can tell you it is well worth the small expense to do this.  Attic insulation is important because as heat rises up against your ceiling in the winter you do not want to let it escape thru your ceiling and out your roof.  I like to recommend at least an R-30 and preferably higher.  I tell my customers insulation is not something you see when the house is complete, but it is a very important part of the construction process.

Kitchen design

Ever notice when you go to a party or a dinner at friends or family’s house or if they come to yours everybody seems to congregate around the kitchen area.  Besides the obvious that is where you can sometimes catch a sample and enjoy the good smell of food, I believe that people just tend to like to socialize there.  People just want to be in the middle of the action and that is where it starts.  People that don’t normally cook a bit at their home a lot of times likes to roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand.  A great kitchen design goes a long way in how all of these people can enter-twine with each other and things get done.  When we are designing house plans to build for clients the number one request is they want a open kitchen lay out and if possible to have a big center island to work and prepare things at.  Our company not only designs the plans but also we have our own in house carpenters that build all the cabinets in our new homes.  Solid surface counter-tops are a must in virtually every home we build.  Roll out drawers once considered only for a luxury kitchen are certainly finding there way into just about all price ranges of kitchens built today.  Stainless steel appliances are  very highly requested and a very nice look.  Most of the upper end kitchens in our houses that we build will have a nice custom stain on maple cabinetry with a glaze finish to give it a very nice furniture look.  So next time you are invited to a get together, and everyone is in that kitchen hopefully the people that brought all of the design together was thinking of you, I know we do.