If you are looking to build a new home, you might be considering using a home building kit. This article is designed to explain what a home kit is and what the advantages and disadvantages are of using kits to build your home.

What is a home building kit?
A home building kit is exactly what it sounds like; it is a kit that includes all of the pieces for a new home and instructions for how to put it together. If you have ever built a model you can think of a home building kit as a life-sized, model home.
Kits come with everything you will need to construct the home; this includes all the lumber and preconstructed panels, blue prints, hardware, and often interior features like tiling and countertops.
There are different types of kit homes. The "typical" kit home used to be the log cabin. In fact, many log cabins are built from kits. In recent years, more and more "regular" homes are available in kits. Your can find kits to build bungalows, cottages, ramblers, and even some monster homes.

Continue reading "What are home building kits and should you use them" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you can avoid problems and changes, through proper planning you will be able to finish what you started, and get the results you want. No one wants to see their dream house sit half finished because they could not afford to finish it. Proper planning is going to help you avoid this problem completely.

Continue reading "Make fewer Changes and Prevent Potential Problems" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you are planning to turn an attic into a bedroom, build a two-story addition, or putting a deck over your backyard then selecting the right staircase can be critical to your project's success. Stair cases do more than provide a means from getting from point A to point B. Yes, beyond performing their practical duties as vertical passageways, most staircases serve as powerful design elements as well. They are an excellent means for presenting strong vertical lines, rhythm and pattern, and graceful forms. Indoors and out, a stairway is something that should be an architectural expression.

Continue reading "Spiral Staircase" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A water well is a great thing, but before you build your house or drill your well, plan your water supply. A well is worth little without an adequate supply of good quality water, which may be found where you had hoped to build the front steps! So, plan ahead so that you do not have to rebuild or deal with poor water. Thinking ahead makes life easier all around, so plan, organize, and get the most for your money.

Continue reading "Well" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You are going to want to have some insider knowledge about the supplier you are considering hiring, and buying materials from. So, once you have selected three or four suppliers and contacted each one to bid on your project, you can do some things in the meantime while you wait for your bids to get back to learn more about the supplier.

One of the best ways to get insider knowledge about a supplier is by asking someone that works for them. So, before settling on a materials supplier, interview one of the salespeople in charge of large accounts. You want to know everything you can about quality, pricing, discounts, delivery, terms, and advice.

Continue reading "Supplier Inside Knowledge" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you build a house you start by making your plans and trying to fit the house to your needs, as well as your wants. Many people consider building their laundry room upstairs, but are not sure whether this is a good idea or not. There are both Pros and Cons to an upstairs laundry. So, let's take a look at why you would want one, and why you wouldn't.

Continue reading "Upstairs Laundry" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the best things you can do with your construction site is store materials properly. You will probably go to a lot of trouble to find good suppliers, and the last thing you want to do is start out with good supplies, and be the cause of them being ruined. Although it would be nice to get materials, and use them same day, during the construction process, you are inevitably going to have to store some of your materials. You are going to want to ensure that they are safe from theft, weather, etc. Otherwise, the cost of building your house is going to greatly increase. You don't want to pay for the same thing twice, and you don't want to lose time by having to replace things.

Continue reading "Storing Materials on Your Site" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In order to get a relatively accurate cost estimation it is best if you have already you're your building site purchased (or at the very least picked out and under contract to purchase, i.e. earnest money paid, an agreement signed), and the detailed plans and drawings of your home. Once you have those, the best thing to do is start with a material's take-off list. There is no way to get an accurate cost estimation if you don't have detailed specs or plans and a good material's take-off to go from. You can have this drawn up by a number of people, but either way, you will need one in order to get a good cost estimation, which of course, you need as well.

Continue reading "Your Materials take-off list" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Having solar utilities is a great way to be independent and to fight the rising cost of utilities. There have been several rises in prices for natural gas and other forms of utilities, and many people are getting fed up with the costs, but there is not much they can do about it. The best way to fight the rising cost of utilities is to take matters into your own hands. Solar utilities are the way to go. So, how do you you're your home a home that can run on solar utilities? The fastest way to make your home solar compatible is to install photovoltaic cells. These cells can be put on the roof of your home and can be highly effective.

Continue reading "Solar Utilities" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you are building or remodeling your home one of the big things you want to think about is the window selection you choose for your home. Of the hundreds of parts that make up a house, windows affect our lives the most. How is that so? Well, think of it this way, on the outside, they reflect the architectural style of a home. They must be properly sized and placed to give a sense of balance and scale to the home. Improperly sized windows can make a home look "funny". Inside, they provide natural light and frame our view of the world. Both of which are important. A window, especially a decorative window, can also set the mood and tone of a room. Often times windows transform a room and determine how we see it. What does this mean? Well, think about it, often the colors, textures, and furnishings we choose for the room and the activities we do within that room often are based on how much light windows let in.

Continue reading "Windows" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Solar energy has a variety of practical and cost-effective applications in today's homes, in fact home solar power has rapidly grown in popularity and in number of applicable uses. For example, home solar power is often used in solar pool heating systems, which heat pool water to extend the swimming season and eliminate pool heating costs. Other uses include solar hot water heaters which can replace existing conventional water heaters and can easily be paired with radiant panel flooring, thereby reducing utility bills. Other home solar power comes from photovoltaic cells (or PV cells), which are solar panels that have no moving parts, yet they convert sunlight directly into electricity to be used to satisfy all of a home's electricity needs.

Continue reading "Home Solar Power" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Landscape lighting is used to enhance the visual effect of your landscaping design. It can be done in several ways, and some ways are better than others. When you create your landscape lighting plan, you need to do a few things: the first thing you do to create an incredible landscape lighting plan is to choose one or two points of interest and make these points the centerpiece of your landscape lighting display. Once you determine a centerpiece, you can build the rest of your lighting plan around your focal point.

Continue reading "Landscape Lighting" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you build a home you must insulate it to make it comfortable. Insulation keeps the cool in and the heat out, or the heat in and the cool out, just depending on what you want. Insulation is the process of enclosing or covering an object with a material that serves as a barrier and reduces the flow of energy, specifically heat.
Insulation is used for things other than just your home, but in general it can be said that insulation is used for the following reasons:

To reduce heat energy losses.
To prevent nearby objects from heating up.

Continue reading "What Insulation is Best?" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In every part of construction there are guidelines to follow, inspections to pass, and codes to meet. So, knowing the standard dimensional specifications you must meet to pass inspections and have your house up to code, before you plan, and taking them into account as you plan your home, will save you a lot of trouble and expense later.

It can seem like a lot of trouble to learn all of the standard dimensional specifications, but think of it this way, if you know the exact number of inches there must be between the wall and the furnace, then you can make your plans with enough space, rather than try and create the needed space after you started building. That makes sense! You don't want to find out you did it wrong, you want to know how to do it so you can simply do it right.

Continue reading "Standard Dimensional Specifications" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Knowing tree basics makes the selection of trees for your yard or landscaping plan a whole lot simpler. Trees are more complicated than size and coloring, there are other things to consider as well. The following will help you learn some of the basics of trees, and what features should be considered for the trees for your home.When it comes to trees, a hastily made decision can really lead to a whole lot of regret. You should never just "pick" a tree, you should select it with the present, and future in mind. For example, many trees grow more beautiful generation after generation. So, this may be a tree you would like to plant if you are planning to live in the home for a long time. Other trees look beautiful right away, and this is the type of tree you should plant if you intend to sell after a few years. Take your time, and select the tree that offers the best combination of qualities you will enjoy. The last thing you want is to find that your haphazard selection of trees led to you planting a tree that creates decades of trouble and hassle for you by dropping messy fruit or bothersome sticks. Some people won't mind picking up dropped fruit, if it means beautiful blossoms and some fresh peaches, others will find that it is not worth it. You need to select trees that fit YOU!

Continue reading "Tree Basics" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Insulating your home well is one of the fastest and best ways to improve and ensure energy efficiency. However, many people struggle with insulating because there are so many different types of insulates available. With so many different types, how are you to know which is the best type for your project and why? Also, insulation is all given an R value, and before insulating your home, you should know what exactly that R value means.

Continue reading "Mineral Wool Insulation" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mulching is a common method used in gardens and landscapes. A mulch, by definition, is a layer of bark, sphagnum peat moss, muck peat, compost, pine needles, gravel, plastic, or any similar material uniformly spread on the surface of the soil under plants. Why? Well, mulch, or in other words mulching is done for a number of reasons. Let's take a look at some of these reasons:

The objectives of applying mulch or mulching are to:

Continue reading "Mulching" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When selecting a home phone service you should first take a look at your home phone usage habits. This is the best way to start as it will help to determine your needs in a service provider.

There are many home phone service providers out there, so know what you want and what an average rate is, and find one that fits your needs, and has a low price, as well as extra features and upgrades should your needs change. Then ask the following questions to make sure you are going to be taken care of.

Continue reading "Home Phone Service" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Home computer networking is becoming very popular, no longer must you have an office, and a billion dollars to get a nice network of computers. You can put the family computer, Dad's computer, the homework computer, and the office computer, and any other computer you want all on the same network through home computer networking. It is a great idea!

When choosing a network type (topology) for your home four things should be considered. Cost, Expandability, Location of Your PC's and speed. All of these four factors are going to come into play for which home computer networking system is going to be best for you.

Ethernet

Just because it is home computer networking does not mean you can't use the same technology used for business networking. The most popular network type for both home and business is Ethernet. Ethernet is the very fastest of the network types and can be the least expensive, depending on your computers (if you must upgrade to have Ethernet capabilities you will have added costs). Ethernet networks are very stable and your network speed will never fluctuate or be prone to interference like other network types are. It sounds nice, what are the downsides? Well, Ethernet requires special cables running from each computer. These cables are plugged into a central 'ethernet hub' or 'switch'. If your computers are far apart, running cable in an existing home may be difficult. Pre-made ethernet cables come in sizes ranging from 3 feet to 50 feet. Ethernet adapters come in many shapes and sizes. Having cables running all over the house does not sound too fun, so luckily there is an alternative, you can use PCI Ethernet cards. These are both the fastest and least expensive method.

Continue reading "Home Computer Networking" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Why do you need a home appraisal? A home appraisal is an important factor of the home buying and building process. In order to borrow money from a lender, the home has to be appraised to be as valuable as the sum being borrowed. A lender can't lend you more money than the property and home you will be using it on is worth. Thus, due to this fact, someone has to come out and "appraise" the home, or if you are planning to build the home, the plans and specs will need to be appraised. You will need to have a certified appraiser come out and determine how much your house is worth? How does an appraiser come up with the number they do from their home appraisal? Well, it is a process.

A home appraiser is paid for their opinion, backed up by some fact, or what your home is worth. A home appraisal is not always set in stone, and seems to magically come in right about where you need it to.

Home Appraisal Factors

The value the appraiser puts on your home is determined by various factors. One is the square footage, and bedroom and bathroom numbers. Others include the lot size, etc. How clean (tidy and organized) your house is does not make a difference in the value the appraiser puts on the home, other than a cleaner, tidier house makes a better impression. However, amenities and features are the factors that determine the number, not how clean the toilet is.

The next big factor of a home appraisal is the comps. What is a comp? A comp, or in other words, a comparable, is a way that a home appraiser can get an idea of the "market value" of the home. The cost of a home to build differs significantly from the "value" of the home. So, a comparable is the sales price of homes in the same area that have the same features--square feet, beds, baths, style, or type. These comparables can make a huge difference in what a home appraisal will come in at. When an appraiser makes a home appraisal they take your home and find homes in the area that are similar to yours, and that have sold recently (in a medium market this would mean homes that have sold in the past 6 months or so), and compare them. The goal of the appraiser is to find homes in the area that are similar to yours that have sold at or around the price you are looking for in your home appraisal.

Continue reading "Home Appraisal" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Construction loans can be complicated, and sometimes take some time. If you plan to break ground by a certain date, you will want to make sure your loan will go through by then so that you can pay for the work.

There are a lot of lenders out there, and each offer similar, yet slightly different options for you. You will want to make sure you find a lender that can give you the options that best fit your needs. In order to do this, you may want to ask your lender the following questions:

Questions For Your Home Loan Lender

1. Will you give me a copy of my appraisal including all documentation? (This is something that are going to have done, as they have to know what the value of your home is before they can lend you money, so ask for a copy. There is no sense in your paying for an appraisal as well, so get a copy of the appraisal and all documention.)

2. Will you give me an amortization schedule and allow prepayment of principal without penalty. (You may or may not live in the house forever, so you will want to know what will happen to your loan if you should choose to sell the home and pay off the loan early.)

3. How soon after I complete the loan application will you give me a loan commitment? (This needs to fit your specific timetable.)

Continue reading "Construction Loans" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Solar power is becoming increasingly popular, especially as rates for utilities rise, and the availability of resources for natural gas slowly diminish. Solar powered homes are on the rise, even if the home is not entirely powered by solar energy, a few well placed solar panels can greatly impact the energy use and cost of the house.

Advantages to Solar Energy

Solar Panels

Solar Power Drawbacks

Continue reading "Solar Energy Home" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Doing a radon home test is a smart idea. Why Do You Need to Test for Radon? Well, first of all, you and your home are not immune to the possibility of having radon gas. Infact, radon has been found in homes all over the U.S.

The problem with Radon Gas

Continue reading "Radon Gas Home Testing" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you decide to build a home, the first thing you need is a good set of plans. You will likely get these plans from an architect or draftsman, but before you do, it is smart to have on paper, or at least in mind, what exactly you want. Then, you can let the architect or draftsman take what you want, and make it a working structure. Architects often will charge you by the hour, so you will save significant money if you go to them with a semi-working set of plans to begin with. The more prepared you are when you go to them, the less they will cost you, and the happier you will be with the results. So, the best way to get prepared is to use a 3D home architecture program.

3D home architecture programs were designed to simulate what an architecture would do for you, and let you see in 3D, so you not only visualize in your mind, but actually see, what your home will look like. These programs should not substitute an actual architect, as their experience will help you make plans that are safe, and will really work, but these programs are a great start, and can come very close to architect quality.

3D Graphic Design

Continue reading "3D Home Design" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When it comes to your home, you want to have safety and security. These are two of the most important aspects of a home because you want your family to feel safe when there, especially because for the average family, a significant amount of time is spent in the home. Thus, having an entry system, and security system that work for your family is important. One great option to consider is a keyless entry system. No longer do you have to be a movie star or other celebrity to afford a stylish programmable keyless entry system that allows you to enter your home quickly day or night.

Benefits of Keyless Entry

Continue reading "Keyless Entry Systems" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Homeowners insurance is a type of insurance you purchase when you purchase or build a home. It is not hard to find as it is available online and off. You can go to a search engine on the Internet and get multiple sources for insurance, or a simple flip through the yellow pages of the telephone directory will show you the company offices located in your area.

Home owner Insurance Quote

Choosing Homeowners Insurance

Continue reading "Home owner Insurance" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When building, buying, remodeling, or just looking for a little more comfort in your home, a home dehumidifier is a great item to consider. Why? Well, having improper levels of moisture in a home can result in a range of problems. These problems include headaches such as window condensation, mold growth and discomfort for the occupants. Now, why settle for the hassle of any of the above problems when a home dehumidifier can solve that problem for you?

Dehumidifiers remove moisture

What is a home dehumidifier? Well, it is a dehumidifier for the home. Go figure, meaning it is like an air conditioner that has coils to remove the moisture from the air. Its coils come with hot and cold and a fan that would let the air conditioner condense the moisture created by the cold coils of the dehumidifier. It will then produce a dry air that will go through the hot coil to bring back its original temperature.

While several years ago you needed both a dehumidifier and an air conditioner, the dehumidifier is not needed anymore if there is an air conditioner available in the room. Why? Well, you will still want to check that your AC does this, but for the most part, air conditioners do the process of dehumidifying the moisture in the room already. Most households experience some problems when there is too much and too little moisture in the air, so the air conditioning industry finally developed an air conditioner that eliminated, or at least reduced this problem.

However, many people do not want the air dehumidified as much as it is, and as a result, they encounter problems of dry skin and itchy skin. Slightly wet air can cause the same problems.

Continue reading "Home Dehumidifier" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you build a home, you want to make sure that you consider the resale value, and one thing that increases resale value more than anything else is the technological capabilities of the home. Technology is a big deal, and one item of technology that is skyrocketing is the idea of wireless networking not just being for companies and big businesses, but all for the home.

Wireless Networking can increase home value

Continue reading "Wireless Networking" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Part of construction is having permits to build. Once you have bought a lot, designed your home, planned, planned, planned, and of course gotten your funding, you then have to get a permit to build your home. You need to be sure to leave plenty of time to get your building permits before you intend to break ground. Sometimes it takes a long time. Don't underestimate how long it takes. It can take 6 weeks or longer sometimes depending much on where you live and the bureaucracy of the building departments permitting process. With construction, it seems the closer you are to the coast, the more difficult the process is. So, where you live might influence how long it takes to get your building permits.

It can also be a little more time consuming effort the closer you get to large metro areas. The good news is that it is a level playing field--everyone you are competing against will have the same bureaucratic disadvantages. Each area will have different permit requirements, fees, and inspections, but there are some basic items you will likely encounter.

Building Permits

Continue reading "Permits" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When it comes to real estate many people are in the dark, especially construction real estate. So, with many people that consider building a home, when they hear the term "owner-builder", it is for the first time, and they don't really know what it means. The following information will give you an idea of what it means to be an owner-builder, and how it can benefit you.

Being an owner builder basically means that you build your own house with limited or no help from a general contractor. Now, this sounds kind of scary, especially because the average person knows very little about building a house, so why would you do this?

Continue reading "Owner-Builder: What exactly does it mean to be an owner-builder?" »

Posted by DK | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)