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Design Concept: Drop Zone

Design Concept: Drop Zone

by | Aug 5, 2020 | Great Design

Problem: Statements like, “When I get home, everything seems to end up on the kitchen table,” or “Everything the kids walk in with gets left on the island,” these and similar comments inspired one of our most popular Woman-Centric design innovations, the Drop Zone concept.

Solution: According to a Recon Analytics study, people with an attached garage mostly go in and out of their home using the door between the home and the garage (rather than the front entry door). It is a vital transition space, offering storage and other amenities, making the Drop Zone a perfect spot to “drop” keys, mail, etc., that would otherwise end up on the kitchen counter (see the Peony – plan #42038 – at right). It can also be a handy spot for recharging electronic devices so they are ready to go when you head out the door!

Search our plans for Drop Zone designs. Or, talk with a plan specialist to make Plan Alterations to a different plan.

Peony - #42038

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Design Concept: Laundry Solution

Design Concept: Laundry Solution

by | Aug 5, 2020 | Great Design

Problem: You are constantly tripping over the laundry basket in your walk-in closet/bathroom/laundry room. It’s something you need to catch the dirty clothes until wash day, but can’t it be less troublesome?

Solution: Design Basics’ plan customization specialist, Tricia Baker, developed a handy and attractive design amenity, the Laundry Solution. It can be incorporated into your closet, bedroom, or bathroom, integrated into your cabinetry as a tilt-out or pull-out drawer. On laundry day, simply lift the clothes basket out of the drawer to transport to your laundry room. 

Laundry Solution B

Another concept is a pass-through from your closet, bedroom, or bathroom. If your home’s design facilitates a shared wall between one of these rooms, the Laundry Solution conveniently “drops” dirty clothes into your laundry room. 

Laundry Solution A

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Without a Great Elevation, the Rest Means Nothing

Without a Great Elevation, the Rest Means Nothing

by | Aug 3, 2020 | HER Home

I first heard that truism more than 30 years ago, and home builders, real estate agents, and home buyers agree, it’s still true today. When looking to purchase a home, buyers often use the home’s exterior – and specifically its curb appeal – when deciding whether to consider that home further.

Style is perhaps the most obvious aspect. The three homes pictured below all share the same floor plan inside, but the different exteriors present their own unique appeals and cost-drivers.

Portsmouth - #8638 Elevation

The Portsmouth (plan #8638) may be referred to as “Traditional,” “Farmhouse,” or even “Craftsman.” It offers the simplest and likely least expensive rooflines, exterior siding, trim, and windows, but the covered front porch adds expense.

Woodworth - #8639 Elevation

The Woodsworth (plan #8639) exemplifies French Country styling and while it eliminates the cost of a front porch, its stucco exterior and sophisticated rooflines are pricey. Artistic touches such as the window brackets and shutters, the eyebrow louver dormer set into the roof, and the arched window in the front office add to the home’s price as well.

Collinswood - #8640 Elevation

The Collinswood (plan #8640) is a Craftsman-inspired elevation with a less expensive hip roof due to the lower pitches (slope of the roof) but there are wider overhangs. The home’s shake shingle siding, while a bit more than standard horizontal siding, is considerably less expensive than stucco. Still, the detailed windows and front porch with tapered columns add expense.

Rules of thumb regarding exteriors and new home costs. 

Rooflines. Gable roofs are usually less expensive than hips; complex roofs with multiple breaks add cost, and the steeper the roof, the more expensive it will be. Siding materials. Traditional siding is typically the least expensive, whereas masonry materials such as brick, stone, or stucco cost more. Windows and doors. Using standard sizes, configurations, and materials will save money, whereas more sophisticated design windows and trim details add cost. Porches and outdoor living spaces (front and rear). Such amenities add to the home’s appeal and to its price. 

Teglia Farm - #42482

The Teglia Farm’s (plan #42482) detailed elevation makes it stand apart. Board and batten siding, bracketed shed roofs over the garage door and front window, stone accents on either side of the garage door, and glass in the front and garage doors add to its appeal. But those charming details add cost. What would the home look like without those details? 

42481 Teglia Place

The Teglia Place (plan #42481) focuses on affordability – it has the same floor plan and the same basic exterior for thousands of dollars less. Still, consider resale value. The features that may attract you to the Teglia Farm over the Teglia Place would likely attract future buyers as well who are willing to also pay a premium for the home’s visual appeal. In a Design Basics’ April 2020 Facebook poll, 73% of the participants preferred the Teglia Farm over the Teglia Place.

Most people’s eyes go to the shed dormer above the garage, cedar shake siding in the reverse gable, and tapered porch columns atop stone bases when looking at the Keyser Springs (plan #35124). Would this home have the same appeal without those features? The Keyser Farm (plan #35123) shares the same floor plan and basic elevation, without the expense of the shed dormer over the garage or costly porch columns. But again, details matter, even if they add to the expense. With its pricier design details, the Keyser Springs home plan still outsells the Keyser Farm.

Keyser Springs - #35124

Keyser Springs

Keyser Farm - #35123

Keyser Farm

Garages.

Finally, garages can be another significant cost driver. The preceding homes all feature a standard 2-car garage that enters from the front. About the only difference there is the varying prices of the garage door styles. 

But some neighborhoods prohibit (and some buyers prefer to not have) garage doors facing the street. Having the garage enter from the side increases the home’s price due to having to add visually interesting elements where the garage door would have been facing the street. Compared to the front load garage Cedar Glen II (plan #42229), the Cedar Farm (plan #42385) has additional windows and shutters where the Cedar Glen II’s garage door was located. And, entering from the side requires a longer, more expensive driveway, unless you happen to have a corner lot.

#42229 Cedar Glen II

Cedar Glen II

#42385W Cedar Farm

Cedar Farm

Style…rooflines…siding materials…windows and doors…porches…details…garages…balancing these and other factors to achieve the look you want at the right price is one of design’s many roles. Another is the floor plans themselves, which we will look at next time.

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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

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