The Custom Home Blog

Corvette or Minivan?

Let me be frank: I don’t think that there is a more inappropriate measurement of a home’s value than dollar/square foot.  This is especially true of a custom home.

At Jenkins Custom Homes, our typical budget for a single home is over 300 line items.  The factors that affect each line item can be varied and numerous.

Take roofing material as an example.  Is a clay tile roof imported from Italy the same cost as a 20 year shingle roof, or even a concrete tile roof?  I can assure that it is not.  The import cost alone is more.  Not to mention the necessary framing changes to accommodate the weight of the tile, the numerous flashing and underlayment options, etc.  Which do you prefer, two layers of 30lb. felt or ice and water shield?  Maybe you need a combination of the two?  A lot to consider?  You better find a Designer / Builder that knows what he’s doing.

I digress.

Do you see my point, though? Just within this one line item – roofing materials – there can be a variety of alternatives, each of which has a ripple affect on the rest of the budget.

Allow me to illustrate further.  Here is an over-simplified example.  Let’s say these are the costs for two different homes – House #1 and House #2.  Both homes are 10′ x 10′ or 100 square feet (SF).

Now, before you decide which house you are going to purchase, look carefully at the difference between these two homes.  House #2 is a whopping  67% more for the exact same 100 SF!  What a rip-off, right?

Well, House #1 also has no windows.  Meanwhile, House #2 has windows on all sides, a nice covered porch, better appliances and an extra 1/2 bath.  Still want the first house?

My point is that if you multiply those cost differences by 300 different line items, pretty soon the two houses start to look really different even though they are the exact same size.  My suggestion?  Find out what all is in the house before you decide what the true value is.

After all, have you ever called a car dealer and asked him for the cost per seat of a car you were interested in purchasing?  Of course not!  And if you did, wouldn’t it make sense for the single cab F150 Pick-Up to cost the same as a Corvette?  They both have only two seats!

Then again, if that were the measure of value, we would all be driving minivans, wouldn’t we?!  Or… would we?!

By: Shan Jenkins, Jenkins Custom Homes

How It Works

“People think that it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make this look good!’. That’s not what we think design is.  It’s not just what it looks like and feels like.   Design is how it works.”

- Steve Jobs

Although volumes have been written in the pursuit of defining “good design”, the above quote, taken from page 10 of the book Design Is How It Works by Jay Greene, may be the best summary of that elusive definition that I’ve found.  Makes sense – considering the source.

However, if you think about it, this quote can be reduced to that age old adage, “Form vs. Function”. That is really what he’s saying isn’t it?  Form without Function doesn’t make good design.  It may look great, but if it doesn’t work, what use is it?

Although I never thought of it in exactly those terms, that really is at the heart of the design/build philosophy of project delivery.  Unless the architect and his team of professionals seamlessly collaborate with the builder and his team of professionals, the “how it works” part remains illusive.  Frankly, the Jurassic method of employing the architect to oversee the builder is woefully inadequate.  You would think that with modern technology that method of project delivery would be as efficient as ever.  Not so.  Technology has quickly advanced construction materials and methods at a pace and breadth beyond what the architect and builder can master together, much less separately.  Add the rapid adoption rate of BIM (Building Information Modeling) to the equation, and it becomes even more apparent the need – or better yet, requirement – for better, more efficient team collaboration.

Accepting the requirement for collaborative design/build, there is no way to execute this philosophy better than within the walls of the true design/build firm.  Separately, the architect and builder will always rest on their primal need for self preservation.  In other words, at the end of the day, the architect ultimately only cares about his reputation and his business, and the same goes for the builder.  Within the true design/build firm, this basic conflict is removed as neither discipline is more important than the other, and the client is the ultimate winner.  Finally, when the designer and builder are united in matrimony, they can give birth to their twins “Form” and “Function” and ultimately, the project (home) not only looks great, but IT WORKS great also.  Ahhhh – triumph!

Autodesk® Revit® Architecture

We have a new secret weapon here at Jenkins Custom Homes: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture.  According to the website: “Autodesk® Revit® Architecture building information modeling (BIM) software helps architects and designers gain a competitive advantage with tools that enable you to design freely, keep information better coordinated, and deliver more efficiently.”

For our residential designers, this means that “From conception to construction documentation, [they can] design projects within an intuitive environment.”  For our clients, it means it is now possible to see – and experience (through virtual reality) – their developing home before the design is even completed!  According to Jenkins Vice-President, Bethany Jenkins, “It’s pretty amazing…The design of a home can now happen faster and clients can get real time feedback.”

Beyond 3D modeling, with Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, our residential designers can produce “photo-realistic” drawings like the one seen here.  This is especially helpful for our clients who are not local.  We can email screen shots and drawings of their home as the design develops.

Except for the picture above, all of these are drawings of homes that are currently in the design phase or are already under construction here at Jenkins Custom Homes.

J.D. Power Ranks Wolf #1!

As one of their preferred trade partners, we at Jenkins Custom Homes want to congratulate Wolf Appliance for taking top honors in the J.D. Power and Associates rankings for Range/Cooktop/Oven!

The press release states that “The Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction in three product categories: dishwashers; refrigerators; and cooktops/ranges/ovens.  Customer satisfaction is measured based on performance in six factors: performance and reliability (including how well the appliance functions, noise level and energy efficiency); features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity); ease of use; styling and feel; price; and warranty…Among manufacturers of cooktops, ranges, and ovens, Wolf ranks highest with a score of 812, and performs particularly well in five of six factors: ease of use; performance and reliability; styling and feel; features; and warranty.”  Congratulations, Wolf!

Top Remodeling Tips

Remodeling your home has become all the rage these days but before you turn your playroom into a home theater, here are some things to consider:

Prioritize

When you begin to dream about all the projects you would like to tackle in your home, they may all seem like top priorities.  However, if you write them all down and give them time to settle out, some will naturally rise to the top of the heap.  The same is true for your spouse – there are some things that he or she would rank at the top of his or her list that may not coincide with your list.  In the end, though, it makes sense to make sure that the top priorities of both partners is represented.

Budget

Once you have your plans clearly mapped out, price the entire project.  You may be surprised at how quickly it becomes cheaper to build a brand new home than to remodel your existing home!  But by planning it all out ahead of time, you can be careful not to let the cost spiral out of control.  And remember – when pricing the project, think past the drywall and paint and consider what you will need to decorate the room when it is finished.  Include this in the cost so you don’t end up without the necessary draperies or furniture to complete the room.  Also, by doing the leg work in advance, you can research cheaper alternatives.

Phases

Sometimes, it makes sense to divide the project into separate phases so that it is more manageable.   By laying everything out on paper, then breaking it up into smaller projects, you can save yourself a lot of hassle and better manage the overall costs.

When considering a remodel project for your home, think about your budget and weigh that against what’s most important to your family. Once you are confident that the project or projects you have chosen represent what really matters to you and your spouse, relax!  Making decisions is the hardest part, but taking your time and working everything out on paper first will save you time and money – and heartache – in the long run.

Our Favorite Dishwasher: The Miele

Dishwashers are one of those appliances in our kitchens that we tend to ignore – until they stop working.  Recently, I had to shop for a new dishwasher and thought it might be useful to share a little about why I chose the Miele Optima II over the competition.

While there are many good dishwashers available, I liked the Miele because of its built-in water softener.  It is a well-known fact that water that has been softened cleans dishes better and leaves fewer spots and residue.  So Miele added a device to their dishwashers that “measures the hardness of the water intake at every stage of the program and manipulates it, when necessary, with a salt additive that makes the water optimal for dishwashing.”   How’s that for intuitive?

The second reason I chose the Miele was because it came with a quietness guarantee.  Again, quoting the website: “Remember, with Miele, your total satisfaction is our top priority. If you are not completely satisfied that the dishwasher is quieter and cleans better than your previous unit, Miele will refund the full purchase price of the product.”  No questions asked.

Finally, the Miele has a top rack just for silverware – and it holds A LOT of silverware!  Since we use a lot of paper plates in the summer time, we can end up with a dishwasher full of just dirty silverware, making this feature particularly nice for our family.

Of course, we realize there are many dishwashers to choose from – this just happens to be the one that works best for us so  we wanted to share it with you!

For more information on Miele dishwashers, click here: http://www.mieleusa.com/usa/dishwashers/product.asp?cat=2&model=503&series=120&nav=20&snav=70&tnav=73&oT=125