The recent post on passive houses sparked an interesting discussion about the costs of ultra-efficient homes. Passive houses are meant to be affordable — that is, the incremental construction costs pay back in energy savings in a fairly short time period — but those relative cost calculations really only apply in a European context. Germany, the birthplace of the…
To get high end finishes you want now but cannot afford, just phase them in over time. Plan your ideal finishes but break the work (and expense) down into stages. You can finish a kitchen without cabinet knobs and pulls and install them next year, or paint the countertop backsplashes and tile it later. Despite over 30 years of home building experience, there is one…
In the last decade the cost of building or buying a home has increased dramatically in Costa Rica. Why? The country is more developed than its neighbors so prices and the standard of living are higher. Also the price of building materials has risen significantly. So, the question is whether an affordable method of building homes exists for budget-minded retirees…
Part of the appeal of tiny house living is being able to avoid spending your whole life paying off a huge mortgage. Many people in the tiny house community are also minimalists who endeavor to live simply and debt-free. But, while building or buying a tiny house does cost way less than building or buying a regular house, it still doesn t come cheap. I ve had quite…
Designing and building your own home using shipping containers can be a fun and financially rewarding experience. As the cost of housing and building materials continues to increase, and the concept of up-cycling is more readily embraced, people all over the world are turning to the humble shipping container to cut their building costs. Not only are shipping containers…
The thought of building a brand-new home for the family can seem financially out of reach for many homeowners, which is why finding dependable and affordable house plans is such an integral part of the process. Just as purchasing an existing home without breaking the bank is about studying the landscape and building a reasonable list of wants and needs based on the…
A company says its 3D-printer will print a house. Fast and cheap. San Francisco-based Apis Cor reported on its blog that on a cold day last December it (and a number of its partners) built an entire 400-square-foot house with its custom printer and it only cost $10, . Oh, and it took just 24 hours to complete. Others have claimed to have built houses with 3D printers…
Start a new document ( CTRL + N ). Split the view into four views as at right, by pressing ALT + CTRL + Q . This gives you a standard set of views: top, front, side and camera, the first three orthographic and the last one in perspective. You can switch back to the single 3D view at any time by pressing ALT + CTRL + Q again. Leave the default cube, it will be the…
This is probably the best real estate question, asked by customers and amongst real estate professionals. I have interviewed many builders, investors, general contractors and never is there a one amount fits all answer. Everyone is correct. As noted in other responses - site work and engineering may add expense. A form A lot, engineered and private sewerage and well…
Every dream home starts with a plan. Using a computer and an Internet connection, you can design and build your dream home virtually. Try out a few different free online design programs to see how they work and what features they provide. In some cases, you can furnish your virtual home with brand-name products and furnishings, and the program even creates a shopping…
The housing market is in tatters, and house prices continue to fall precipitously in many parts of the country, so it might seem a strange time to bring up the subject of housing affordability. But one of the reasons we are in this mess is that people bought houses they couldn’t really afford. At some point in the future, consumer confidence will be restored and people…
Are you considering major renovations or an addition to your home? Do you spend weekends wandering models in new home communities? You may be surprised to hear that building a new custom home where you currently live can be an affordable or even a cost effective option. Renovations Major renovations to your home may result in very costly unforeseen expenses. Often…
If you own your own home site (in Central Florida), or are considering purchasing a home site, Florida home builder Showcase Homes brings the same great attention to detail and professional services to building one of our homes on your lot. One of the premier builders in Central Florida, Showcase Homes has nearly 50 years of dedicated home-building experience and…
There is not enough affordable housing in the United States. For every 100 extremely low income households, there are only 29 adequate, affordable, and available rental units. That means two parents who both work minimum-wage jobs might wait years to find a safe, affordable place to live with their two kids. With such high demand, why aren’t developers racing to build…
