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Originally Posted by HitterD
Just a few things from someone who is in the building process right now (July possession)
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2. Make sure you ask alot of questions of a few different builders. Many builders in Calgary (not sure about Lethbridge) have started cutting corners in order to build a house cheaper. In some cases, I have seen houses building in my area using very cheap materials. some builders arent even using Home-wrap anymore, which is essential for keeping moisture from coming in the walls and into the insulation. You will likely start getting mould it the insulation without this wrap.
Also, be sure that your builder garuntees your home price upon building. Some people in Calgary i know have had the builder increase the cost of the house 4 months into the process, because of cost of materials.
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How can they do either of these things? After all, when you buy your home, is it not expected that it will be built to keep water and mold out by using Home-Wrap? Same with other building materials.
After that, how, after you have a signed contract with a purchase price, can they say, "Now give us more money." What can they do? Take the
house that you agreed to buy, they agreed to sell, for a fixed price, signed a contract with that price, begun to build, can they take it away?!?
My suggestions for building a new home (built one before):
1. Remove posts from the basement, move them into the "utility" area.
Costs more, but gives you free reign on how you design your basement.
Nothing like getting a big-screen TV, and no where to view it from because
every angle has a post in the middle of it.
2. Main floor laundry, like most houses have now days, should have a drain
in the floor. I shoved a blanket in my washer the other day, and somehow
it blocked the flow of water and then it spilled all over. Luckily I caught it, but with a drain under the washer, do I care anymore?
3. Rough-in vac should have dust openings, you open a little door and it
turns on the vaccuum, and you can use your broom to push in the stuff.
4. Be creative on the floor. Most go one colour hardwood or something.
Change it up. If you have a kitchen/family room as one big area, use your
floor to distinguish the difference. It can be as simple as one stripe of
dark inbetween your two light colours. I put designs around the fireplace.
5. Knock-down ceiling, makes an area look very nice. I went one step
further, and had a 3-inch strip around a room which was absolutely
smooth, and painted a colour just off the wall colour. Then the ceiling
was painted before the stipple (which is then knocked-down with a trowel).
It gave a nice "warm" effect, and was much cheaper than buying trim.
6. 9 or 10 foot ceilings, where you can, usually basement and main floor.
Opens up the basement nicely if it's not a walkout. Even if it's a walkout,
it gives the look of more room.
7. Carefully select where you want basement bath roughed in. If you are
not sure, don't do it. Later, if you don't want a bathroom where it was
roughed in, they have to rip up the concrete anyways. Put it near the
utility area to keep it out of the way. Combine storage and utility area.
ers
