Posts Tagged ‘decision’

New Garage Door Considerations

November 10th, 2011

Depending on the size of your home, a garage door can represent between 30 and 40 percent of the exterior of your home. This means choosing and installing the right garage door is an important decision, not only in terms of cost, but in terms of appearance and functionality.

What considerations go into your purchase?

There are many considerations to take into account when installing a new garage door include the color, finish, and composition of the door, the strength and durability of the track, the insulation R value, and whether or not there is a warranty available. Check with the installer and manufacturer for warranty information.

Since the garage door is such an extensive part of the appearance of the front of your house, you want a door that provides aesthetic value to the appearance of your home. They come in a variety of colors and styles to complement your home. Some styles available include raised panel, flushed, elongated, and ribbed. The compositional materials include fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel, and composite materials. The choice you make regarding these materials depends not only upon the appearance you want to achieve, but the size of your budget and the functionality you want to achieve with your new addition.

Steel or Wood?

Should you choose a steel or other type of metal or wood door? This depends, again, on the purpose you wish to achieve. Wooden doors are often more attractive, less utilitarian in appearance, but they can offer more maintenance challenges than a steel door. Wood doors need to be painted, while steel doors do not. Also, steel doors typically have longer warranties and can be insulated.

What is the R value?

The R value is the measure of resistance of specific building insulation materials. In the case of garage doors, this boils down to choosing either polystyrene or polyurethane for your insulation. Polystyrene has an R value of 2 per inch while polyurethane rates at 4. Despite the lower rating, many construction experts recommend polystyrene because it is waterproof, where polyurethane is an open cell foam subject to water damage. Closed cell foam alternatives for polyurethane can be used, but they are typically more expensive, making polystyrene an obvious choice for insulation.

Your new or replaced garage door will be a large addition to your home, so considering both form and functionality is an essential part of making a your purchase.

Posted in Home Plans

Tips for Picking a Location to Build Your House Plans

November 6th, 2011

Choosing a lot of land to build your home is a pivotal decision. You must consider not only the physical attributes of your land when designing your house plans, but also the location play as it has a large role in one’s lifestyle. Consider the tips below choosing the right property for your new home, as well as a few key points on finding land and choosing the best floor plans for your home building site.

Considerations when Selecting Your Building Site

Do you prefer to live in town or out in the country? Do you want to be near certain amenities for your work? Are you looking for a neighbor that has a school or a grocery store within walking distance? Would you like to live in a sunny locale or a place that enjoys all four distinct seasons?

Before you go online to search for available properties and choose your home plans, take some time to think about these questions and others, such as what type of political and religious atmosphere you would prefer. Use your answers to figure out what location would suit you best.

Once you have a few ideal characteristics in mind, begin focusing in on communities that match your criteria. Create a spreadsheet to compare how each location meets your needs. This will help you keep track of the entire process. Most home plan designers recommend waiting to choose floor plans until you have selected a lot, since designers often charge fees to change blueprints once they’ve been finalized.

Topographical, climactic and utility concerns.
Low-lying land is more likely to flood. Certain locations are more likely to see earthquakes, while others see tornadoes or hurricanes. Think about the geography and climactic patterns of each lot you review, with the understanding that topography and soil quality affects everything from sewage to foundation design and may require you to modify your house plans. Make inquiries as to what common natural disasters occur in the area, and consider how each lot might fare in a catastrophe. Have a perk test completed to see where the water table lies. Finally, research which utilities are available for each lot. If the price on a certain lot seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Stay Consistent with the Area.
If you plan to live in a subdivision, neighborhood, or HOA, aim to find one where your home will blend in seamlessly. Selling your home will be more difficult down the road if your home plans do not blend with the rest of the area. Preferably, even the style of your dream home should match nearby houses.

Legal details in the property survey.
A registered surveyor must be called in to survey each property that is put on the market. As you narrow down your choices, ask each seller to show you the survey for the land you’re taking into consideration. Setback requirements, Easements, potential wetlands, elevations and more are included in property surveys. All of these details are important construction considerations when finalizing your home plans.

How to Find Land

Despite the fact that we’re living in the Information Age, it isn’t always easy to find the right property on which to make your dream house plans a reality. Here are a few places to hunt for available properties:

  • Local city halls or county courthouses. Look here for plats that may have been involved in a legal dispute; oftentimes such properties are available at a lower cost.
  • Newspapers, real estate advertisements and online resources.
  • The properties themselves. If you have a certain area in mind, it makes sense to drive around and look for sale signs on lots.
  • Real estate agents. This is a great option if you have the spend time finding your property.

Once You have Found Your Property

If you are planning to build in a subdivision, you’ll need to see if there is a neighborhood builder you are required to use and if they are willing to build to your house plans. If you decide to take this route, the builder will likely take out the required construction loans and ask you to cash him or her out once the home is finished.

Outside of subdivisions, you will need to find a builder who is will build to your home plans. This option is a more labor intensive because you will need to secure a construction loan through your local credit union or bank. Once you have the necessary funding, check that the contractor is registered, licensed, insured and has plenty of positive references.

Selecting House Plans for Your Land

Among all the things to consider when choosing house plans, you should think about how will natural light move across your property? How will nearby sounds impact the placement of rooms? Is the land flat, or is there a slope? These questions are just a few options that will factor into your selection of house plans.

It is much easier to choose house plans once you have a piece of property selected. It makes sense to settle on the location of your dream home before drawing up the floor plans.

Posted in Home Plans