How to compete with new construction? (or do you?)
BethA
7 years ago
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BethA
7 years agoBethA
7 years agoRelated Discussions
How do I get rid of all the new house construction dust?
Comments (7)Start with cleaning the walls, windows and high shelves, moldings, etc. Use an extension pole with a damp mircrofibre if you're not into ladders. I found a large microfibre mop works great for dusting the walls. Don't forget the dust clings to wood moldings, windows, top of doors and their frames, light fixtures and the bulbs too!! Literally, you have to wipe down every surface, whether it be in front of you, above you, hiding from you or beneath you. LOL Vacum the floor really well after you're finished with all the other surfaces then mop with a mild solution of vinegar and water. Of course if you have carpets, just vacum really well. I just started cleaning our new new house and boy, it is not an easy taste. Well, it's easy in that the dust comes right up, but there is so much to clean!! Good luck....See More2 zone system in new construction..do it now or can do it later?
Comments (7)After some long discussions with York reps and with Honeywell (who does the zoning equipment), I think (if the HVAC guy doesn't come down on price) I may have them run 2 trunks in the basement, and feed the appropriate ducts into each. i.e. have all the 1st floor ducts go into the trunk for the 1st floor and the 2nd floor ducts into the trunk for the 2nd floor. Then have them put in a manual damper near the beginning of each trunk, and have them run a thermostat wire upstairs for future use. I can't imagine this would be much more work than what they're planning on doing anyway. Remember the main plenum/trunk isn't even run yet. That way I can go the first year and see how bad the temp differential is between floors. And I could simply manually adjust the dampers each season (likely close off the 1st floor by a certain percentage) so that more or less air flow goes where I need it. If it doesn't work out, or if it does but my manual adjusting is too much work, I can do the zoning in the future without too much more cost, since the trunks are already done. I figure at that point, they'd just have to add the zoning panel, hook up the 2nd floor thermostat, add the auto dampers etc. And at that point, I could at least have some other HVAC guys come in and get some competition and different ideas. Thoughts on this approach?...See MoreHow do you obtain the best price for new home construction?
Comments (11)This is a little OT from the OP question but some things to consider nonetheless-- I didn't want to proceed without a Realtor for our side-- But in my case, it wasn't all about price- I am interested in a new construction home. The builder usually only builds custom homes but had an opportunity to develop a small subdivision of about 28 homes. I asked our realtor about them. He didn't know this particular builder but said there was some risk in this market (already happened with another builder) that the builder could go belly-up in the middle, leaving the development half finished or that they could run low on funds and start cheapening up the materials during the building process. He heard of another case in town (again, not this builder) where people lost their earnest money and their houses were left unfinished. The funds were not put into escrow but used to begin construction but buyers didn't know that going in. I've been (unoffically, usually online) looking for the right home for us for 2 years. When I walked into this model home I fell in love. The price was within our range but the home's look/feel/features were so much above and beyond what I had seen in this price range, so I was skeptical. I wanted the Realtor, who looks at homes day in and day out, to look-- to check the build quality, the surrounding neighborhood (older and not as upscale)to dig up information, and also his opinion on the pricing. Talking price is always uncomfortable for me. I don't want to insult anyone or come across as a cheapskate but I also don't want to overpay so I did ask my Realtor if there was room to move on the price, especially in this market and since I am clueless in the new construction process. He told us there might be a little wiggle room but that he and everyone else that goes into this home can't believe they aren't asking more. I believe they have priced it right to start with (compared to everything else I've seen) and although who wouldn't want to pay less, I think the price is fair. He was also able to check the sales in the developement. He confirmed what the builder told us which was all 5 spec homes they have built so far have sold except one (and builder told us they have a possible contract coming on it) and they have done about 4 pre-sales. The model has only been open for about 6 weeks. Their agent told ours that they got 3 new contracts last weekend. Some builders may be hurting and are giving away the farm to sell, but it is not the case for our builder. Another advantage this builder offers is free consulting with his wife, who is an Interior Designer on all your materials as well as paint colors and modifications (I just paid 75.00 per hour for this in our current home to pick new carpet & paint and other flooring for resale) Also, since they usually build custom, they allow for (and help design) modifications to the plan --we have a few we are already considering-- One is to turn a full sized closet in the laundry into a mudroom style bench with pull out drawers below and hooks for coats & keys and cubbies for gloves/hats etc. Most new construction homes wouldn't change a thing for us, beyond letting us pick the standard carpet etc... The Realtor also negotiated a 6 month contingency to allow us some time to sell our home, while this one is being constructed, and during that time, they can't sell the home from under us and I still get to pick all the colors etc. (I will have to prepay for those modifications upfront which I may not do if my home hasn't sold by that time. I still love the home as is~) I honestly don't have a clue how my Realtor is being compensated by the builder. Maybe they pad the price by a few K to cover it. But he has already handled many details in the contracts that I would not have thought of and I feel I have someone that knows what they are doing lookng out for my best interests in the transaction. We get along wonderfully (at least so far) with this builder but this is the biggest ticket item we will EVER buy, not having a a rep on our side for me would be like going to trial with out a Lawyer....See MoreHow to save 20 year old citrus trees from new construction?
Comments (4)You should go to the building department after you talk to a qualified licensed landscape contractor he could give you some specific violations if any and suggest solutions like some fast-growing bamboo or something to block the lights. The cost of growth sometimes is painful, try and embrace it maybe the new owner will want to share in the bounty of the citrus?, also they are entitled to do as they want on their property as you are. That rule is violating them by where your citrus trees were planted....See MoreBethA
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