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Design Adds Meaning and Value

Design Adds Meaning and Value

by | Aug 7, 2020 | HER Home

Everything is designed. Look around you. Everything you see was designed. The ceiling, lighting, your chair, the wastebasket, the door. Design can make or break a business – just look at Apple’s outstanding designs and now defunct Oldsmobile for lack of design innovation. The jeans you’re wearing – are they Wrangler jeans that set you back $20 from Walmart or a $100 pair of fashion jeans? They mean different things to you and have different “value” for you.

Not everything gets noticed. And that’s okay, because sometimes thoughtful design blends right in. We might not appreciate good home design because it already resolved potential issues. It’s kind of like how we don’t necessarily appreciate feeling good until we’re recovering from being sick. But as with chronic pain, bad design – such as doors that open into each other – calls attention to itself and definitely gets noticed!

Remarkable design is “whole brained.” You might be familiar with left-brain/right-brain theory wherein left-brain thinking is associated with logic and analytics. FUNCTION. It’s an essential part of design. Does it do what it is supposed to do; does it do it well; and does it do it reliably? The right-brain is associated with creativity. FORM. Is this attractive? Does it stir your heartstrings? Lean too heavy to left-brain thinking and you end up with homes that look like plain, boring boxes. With too much right-brain thinking, you may sacrifice both livability and cost. The SOCIAL side of design resides in the right brain as well, which asks “What does this design say about me?” And, “How does this design make me feel about myself?”

Design can revolutionize our thinking, or leave us wondering “What were they thinking?” Design solves problems – existing and new. Suitcase always in the way in your closet? The Travel Center is an elegant solution that also provides a place, so you don’t have to pack your suitcase on your clean bedspread. Conversely, there’s the random linen closet, nowhere near the bedrooms or bathrooms. Go figure.

Design is a reflection of who we are – and who we want to be. Design lets your personality come through. Design reveals your values. Claire is looking for the WOW! factor in her front entry views. Elise feels good about the walk-in closets for her kids’ bedrooms. Maggie dreams of a home that’s casual, fun, perhaps even a bit whimsical. And Margo’s home has the contemporary touches that make it unique – and uniquely hers. Yes, design tells us and others who we are and can even help us understand ourselves better. A window to our soul.

Finally About Me® – discover your new home personality (click any profile silhouette below to learn more).

Design is about freedom. Freedom to express our true selves. Freedom and the autonomy to make our own choices rather than settling for someone else’s. Design tells stories without using words. Chamfer drywall corners, 32-inch wide interior doors, no-step entries, and an oversize doorless shower all “speak” safety while welcoming everyone into your home.

Hy-Lite Bath

Photo courtesy: Hy-Lite®

Design is emotional. Pleasant Saturday morning solitude as you greet the sunrise on your private rear deck. The joy in Saturday night with a few close friends enjoying tasty barbecue on that same covered deck. You love how sunlight streams in through your bedroom’s transom windows. And the artistic glass block windows in your spa-inspired bathroom. Rather than “settling for,” you find inspiration in some of your design choices.

Design connects us. As humans, we were designed to live in community, and our homes are where that happens most. Design can bring us together, such as an expandable dining area for big family meals. Home plan design actually takes connection a step further, as the home design connects buyer and builder, sub-contractors and vendors, lender and building officials. Like a bicycle wheel hub whose spokes connect to every aspect of building your home.

Yes, design adds tremendous meaning and value. And cost. It must be expensive, particularly remarkable home design, right? Custom home plans typically range from $2.00 to $10.00 per square foot and will take from several weeks to months to complete. Pre-drawn home plans from leading residential designers average around $.50 per square foot and often can be delivered the same day. Customizing a pre-drawn plan to your specific desires can be significantly less costly and faster than starting from scratch. Your designer may also be able to suggest ways you could potentially reduce your new home’s cost. Scouring the internet, there may even be cheaper home plans, but do they provide good value? Design Basics’ talented residential designers solve design issues with creativity and innovation. Less experienced drafts people may resort to simply adding expensive square footage.

Good design can be the difference between elation and regret. Unfortunately, poor home design is a gift that keeps on giving too, as you experience the daily disappointments of the design shortcomings you learn to put up with. Living in a home that achieves your needs and wants is our designer’s gift to you – No Regrets!

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

SIP, SIP, Hooray!

SIP, SIP, Hooray!

by | Jul 27, 2020 | HER Home

We have been looking at the fallacies of comparing new homes on the basis of “cost per square foot” because it’s nearly impossible to get an apples-to-apples comparison. Here we look at another apples-to-oranges comparison – building your home using structurally insulated panels as compared with traditional stick-frame construction.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) are most often made from two “skins” of oriented strand board (OSB) sandwiching a thick slab of insulating foam. SIPs can be various sizes, from smaller panels that can be set in place by two people, to larger panels set in place with a crane. SIPs are used for roofs and exterior walls to create highly energy-efficient homes that are also stronger and safer than most traditionally built homes.

There are minimal design limitations with SIPs and most existing home designs can be adapted for SIP construction. SIP roof systems create natural design opportunities, such as cathedral and sloped ceilings.

For Example: Design Basics’ Kendrick plan (#8532SUL), adapted for Insulspan® brand SIPs, offers dramatic amenities not found on the conventionally framed Kendrick plan including sloped ceilings for much of the main floor plus a 262 sq. ft. loft overlooking main floor entertaining.

#8532 Kendrick
Kendrick - #8532SUL ML
Kendrick - #8532SUL UL

Energy Efficient. One of the primary ways homes lose energy are air leaks (how “tight” a home is). On a cold winter day, you pay a lot of money to heat the air in your home, only to have most of that “conditioned air” leak out within an hour! Since the air pressure inside your home has to equal the air pressure outside, the warmed air that leaked out gets replaced by cold outside air that leaks in. By their very nature, the panels used in SIP construction create a very tight home with minimal air leakage.

Insulation is designed to minimize the other primary reason for energy loss, conduction, heat transfer through walls, windows, the roof, etc. Fiberglass is the most common insulation material used in homes and can work well, but some wall cavities are challenging to fill completely, particularly around plumbing and electrical. Many traditional insulation products also tend to settle, leaving a gap at the top. Such challenges potentially leave voids that show up in your home as “cold spots.” Also, with conventional framing, the wood studs, typically spaced 16 inches apart, are quite poor insulators. Exterior wall and roof insulation’s effectiveness is measured by R-value. SIP manufacturer Energy Panel Structures reports that a conventional 2×6 framed wall filled with R-19 insulation actually delivers an R-value of 13.7, 80% poorer than a comparable SIP wall, which achieves R-24.7.

Green. Since SIP constructed homes use considerably less energy than traditional construction, SIP homes are inherently environmentally responsible. And because SIP panels are precision cut and delivered to the jobsite, there is considerably less jobsite waste from building your home that ends up in a landfill.

Stronger/Safer. SIP constructed exterior walls and roof panels are fully covered in OSB – on both sides. This makes for an extremely strong wall and roof system, better able to withstand high winds and flying debris. SIP manufacturer Enercept claims that SIP constructed homes are 2-1/2 times stronger than conventional, stick-framed buildings.

The home at right (Greensboro – #2326) was built using Insulspan SIP construction.

Greensboro - #2326
Cost. A SIP constructed exterior wall and roof package will probably cost more than conventional construction for the same home. How much more depends on many factors, including the complexity of the home’s overall design. Partially offsetting the higher initial cost of SIPs are reduced costs for site labor, waste disposal, and a smaller, less expensive HVAC system. There also may be tax credits offered to both the home builder and the homeowner for building with SIPs. Then there’s the ongoing utility savings and you may enjoy lower homeowner insurance premiums. Finally, there is the added resale value of a super energy-efficient home.

What does building your new home with SIPs say about you? That you care about a quieter, healthier home for your family. That building a stronger, more comfortable home were high priorities. That doing your part to protect our environment and being kind to Mother Nature matter. That you wouldn’t settle for less than building an energy-saving home with lower utility bills.

View dozens of homes designed for SIP construction on our website. Design Basics can also adapt our other, stick frame home plans for building with SIPs.

SIP Resources:

Intangibles and Hidden Costs

Intangibles and Hidden Costs

by | Jul 20, 2020 | HER Home

Home plans in hand, you may think your next step is to get three bids. That makes sense, because you want to get a feel for how much you’ll be investing in your new home. But why three bids? Are you automatically going to take the low bid? And how did the low bidder arrive at their price? 

The same holds true for your builder. They could take the plans and have three different framing crews, drywallers, and painting companies price out the job. Do you want them taking the lowest bid, or do you want a builder who has long-standing relationships with sub-contractors whose quality is unmistakable? Straight, plumb walls may not be obvious – until it comes time to hang the kitchen cabinets. Some tradespeople’s work will be unseen. Focused on speed and moving on to the next low-margin job, a budget-priced HVAC company may not seal all of the home’s ductwork optimally, resulting in expensive and wasteful conditioned air leakage for the home buyer. Rats! There must be something, maybe an electrical outlet faceplate, under the carpet and pad that was just installed. But it’s not that noticeable when you walk on it…

Your builder’s reputation, professionalism, and experience have value!

Home BuilderWould you trust your open-heart surgery to a “resident” doctor? Considering how much you will be investing, you deserve a quality home, which means hiring an experienced, quality builder. Are they members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and committed to the NAHB’s professionalism, ongoing education, and high ethical standards?

One area you can affect price is making timely decisions. Waiting until the last minute to pick out the stone for your front elevation can result in costly expedited shipping or perhaps having to select a more expensive product that’s in-stock. Changing your mind can also be expensive. You fall in love with a brand-new pedestal sink for your powder bath. Now, you have the builder’s change order fee as well as the restocking fee from the plumbing supply house. Changes can mean delays and even costly rework that ultimately increases the cost per square foot of your home.

You get called out of town for two weeks and are unable to attend the scheduled walk thru. Construction progress halts until you return, incurring additional construction loan interest expense, another hit to your new home budget. 

What’s the cost of your new home warranty? One builder has a full-time warranty service technician and they promise timely response. Another builder who’s hard to get a hold of during construction is even harder to reach after move-in. And when you finally do connect, you’re simply given the name of a subcontractor to call. It might be hard to calculate the cost, but there’s tremendous value in a reputable builder’s proven new home warranty.  

Finally, you want your builder to make a fair profit. As just mentioned, the builder’s new home warranty is valuable, but may be worthless if your builder goes out of business. A builder who undercuts his price just to get the job has little incentive to do more than the minimum required to get paid and move on to the next project.

Next time: Building with Structural Insulated Panels

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

Cover photo: https://www.brandunited.com/article/self-mailers-timely-direct-mail-strategy-stuck-at-home-world?fbclid=IwAR1AuxEV3tuskgp3ImLUFzMvACeXm2jLZ0MgbjfEOVuVpJzVMAZDBpf2ZJk

Location, Location, Location

Location, Location, Location

by | Jul 13, 2020 | HER Home

If you are looking at a home’s cost per square foot and that cost includes the homesite, understand that building lot costs vary widely.

The location of your building lot encompasses several factors. Neighborhood amenities such as walking trails, public spaces, playgrounds, or a fitness center are costs absorbed into each building lot. Location, and proximity to schools, restaurants, shopping, health care, etc., will impact desirability, which will show up in the lot costs. And while the National Association of Home Builders found that on average 14.6% of your new home purchase price is due to regulations imposed during the lot’s development, that can vary greatly by neighborhood, too.

Of course, the size of the homesite generally correlates to its cost, at least within the same subdivision. Specific lots, such as a building lot at the end of a cul-de-sac or one that backs up to a small lake or golf course, may cost more. There can also be higher costs associated with lot specifics. For example, a sloping lot may require a costly retaining wall. Or the unexpected presence of rock when digging a basement foundation.

A loose rule of thumb is that finished lot costs represent 20%-30% of your new home purchase price. On average, $100,000 of a $400,000 new 2,500 square foot 2-story home can be attributed to the lot cost. Or $40 per square foot of the $160 per square foot overall cost of that home. But on the low side, an $80,000 building lot ($380,000 purchase price) nets you $152 per square foot, while a $120,000 homesite ($420,000 purchase price) works out to $168 per square foot.

Finally, though not directly a land cost, neighborhood covenants can impact your home’s cost. Restrictions prohibiting outdoor structures such as sheds encourage more expensive 3-car garages for that needed extra storage. Or maybe the garage door(s) cannot face the street. Side-entry garages are typically pricier due to added windows, masonry, etc., on the garage side that faces the street, plus the higher costs of a longer driveway.

Windows on a side-entry garage as seen on the Cedar Farm plan #42385W (top) vs. a front-entry garage as seen on the Cedar Creek plan #42340W (bottom) can have significant impact on cost.

#42385W Cedar Farm
Cedar Creek - #42340W

From landscaping requirements to exterior finish specifications, the same home design built in two different neighborhoods can have a very different cost per square foot!

Next time: Intangibles and hidden costs.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products for the home:

Cover photo: <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/people’>People photo created by prostooleh – www.freepik.com</a>

What’s Included in the Price?

What’s Included in the Price?

by | Jul 6, 2020 | HER Home

Cost per square foot. Simple to calculate. Seemingly easy to understand. Until you realize what was included in the “cost” differs by builder!

On floor plans, dashed (as opposed to solid) lines often indicate options. In keeping with its focus on affordability, the Rivera Farm (plan #29391) presents several optional design amenities – dashes indicate the option of having transom windows in the entry/along the staircase as well as the option of a fireplace in the family room. And behind the dining area, an optional patio. Photos or renderings may show these amenities, but being options, likely they were not included in the cost that was used to come up with cost per square foot.

Rivera Farm - #29391
Rivera Farm - #29391

Similarly, floor plans may show alternate layouts for the same space. The base Jolene (plan #42334) shows three bedrooms, but also shows re-purposing Bedroom 3 as an office. The addition of stunning French Doors into the office could add thousands of dollars to the price of your home, increasing its cost per square foot.  

Jolene - #42334
Interior French Doors

Sometimes home builders will make purely aesthetic amenities shown on floor plans extra-cost options. Continuing with the Jolene plan there is a boxed ceiling in the owner’s bedroom – that might add $1,000. Ditto with the ceiling detail in the front entry. It adds drama and calls attention to this wider-than-expected space, but it adds cost, which increases cost per square foot.

Unless mandated by codes, builders can elect to build with either 2×4-inch or 2×6-inch exterior walls. Total square footage of the home will be identical, homes built with the 2×4-inch walls will have slightly larger interior rooms. Due to their added insulation, the homes with 2×6-inch walls, will usually be more expensive and therefore have a higher cost per square foot, but will also keep utility costs down and your home more comfortable.

Laminate or stone – what countertop material was included in the cost? Are appliances included? If so, which ones? There’s room for a sink in the laundry room. Was that included? Even if you take the same set of house plans to different home builders, the prices won’t necessarily be comparable. You specify Bruce® Hickory wood floors. Builder A figures the price based on solid wood and Builder B’s pricing was based on engineered wood.

From flooring to lighting to plumbing fixtures and trim work, as you tour most model homes, there are various upgrades shown that are above and beyond the base price used to calculate cost per square foot. It’s the same way in the auto industry. As advertised, the 2020 Lexus ES 350 starts at $39,900. That’s $10.93 per pound. But the ES 350 often tips the scales around $50,000 including options makes it $13.70 per pound.

You wouldn’t compare new cars on the basis of cost per pound. Why use cost per square foot to compare new homes, especially when it’s almost impossible to get an “apples for apples” comparison?

Next time: How building lots impact your cost per square foot.

For more resources on thoughtful design and products:

French Doors Photo by Curtis Adams from Pexels
Cover Image: <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/sale’>Sale photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com</a>