Modular designers have shown they can provide upscale packages, but are the homes... More
Interior designers at Brentwood Custom Homes know what's good for their customersóand for the planetóeven if those homeowners have never heard of it. More
Q: I build custom homes in a northern (heating) climate. My clients want tight, well-insulated homes - we use cellulose and often spray foam - but many also want a wood-burning fireplace. Is it possible to have a traditional hearth in a modern, tightly insulated home? More
The consensus among remodelers and industry analysts is that remodeling isn't expected to fall nearly as hard as home building. However, the overall slumping of the housing market has implications beyond the public's attitude toward investing in their homes. More
Hip, chic, and trendy are great for clothes and cars. But when your product is designed to last for generations, you tend to be a little skeptical about what's hot and what's not. To find out what design elements are resonating with today's buyers, Builder interviewed production, semi-custom, and custom builders, architects, real estate agents, and interior designers nationally, as well as Gopal Ahluwalia, staff vice president of research for the NAHB, to create our own top 10 list. More
Planning for the March tour wraps up this month, but preparations occur all year long. The effort is worth it because it brings prospects right to his latest project, a showcase for his work.Based on his success, Metke has decided to avoid home shows. More
Q. We built a custom home for a client in west Michigan a couple of years ago, and the home has had problems with ice ever since. It's a 1,450-square-foot ranch with cathedral ceilings and many can lights throughout. We used blown fiberglass insulation in the ceiling assemblies. From the beginning, the can lights (IC-rated) overheated and tripped their thermal-protection breakers. We finally resorted to pulling the insulation away from the housing of the can lights so they TAs a result, the heat from these lights now warms up the roof and has created a horrible ice problem instead. Last fall we even added four pot vents to the back of the roof in addition to the soffit-to-ridge venting. The homeowner called to report that the pot vents have improved the situation but not completely. I drive by this home frequently and see ice buildup there while other homes in the area are ice free. More
When he was named Big 50 in 1991, 90% of Kelly Wright's work was remodeling. Wright recently started Wright Homeworks to handle $2,000 to $200,000 jobs such as kitchens, bathrooms, and decks. More
By working closely with a modular manufacturer, it’s possible to build a custom-quality home faster and less expensively than the site-built variety. A New Jersey builder of solar homes tells how he does it. More
A Massachusetts builder explains how he uses factory-built panels to lower costs and speed construction of custom homes and additions. More
