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

6 Tips To Successfully Making Selections

This post was originally run in February 2010.

While building a new home is a fun process, it can at times be a daunting task. Making all the necessary selections (like picking out lighting fixtures and appliances) in a timely matter is the key to success. Here are some ideas to make the process easier:

1. Always keep a digital camera in your purse. When you see something you like, take a picture! This will save you time spent retracing your steps.
2. If your Builder doesn’t provide one, purchase a large binder, and then keep all your selections organized in it. While you may not be able to fit your tile samples in it, you can put the pictures you took under your “Kitchen Backsplash” tab!
3. Keep a running list of specific questions for your decorator. When you are ready, call and run through your list. Better yet, schedule a meeting! Just keep in mind that you are paying for her time; so it pays to be prepared.
4. It helps to narrow any selection down to your top 3. Once you weed out everything else, you will be better able to focus on the top 3 and make a decision.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute! If possible, stay ahead of the game so you don’t have to make your decisions under pressure.
6. Once you make your selection, be happy with it! You can second-guess yourself until you aren’t happy with anything.  Don’t worry…it’s going to be great!

The Benefits Of In-House Design

In the custom home industry, there are basically two delivery methods: design/build and traditional bid and build.  Among design/build firms there are two delivery methods as well. There is in-house design and outsourced design. With in-house design, the architect or residential designer is on staff.  With outsourced design, the architect or residential designer works for him or herself, or for a separate firm.  In Austin, most builders outsource the design.  Shan Jenkins, of Jenkins Custom Homes, has done it both ways, and he strongly advocates the in-house design approach for a variety of reasons.  Some of his reasons, like the cost savings and time savings, are very practical.  Others, like the way the client has more control over the creative process, are less obvious to the casual observer.  Either way you cut it, however, it makes building a new home a better experience for everyone.

The practical reasons for having a residential designer in-house are the time savings and cost savings it allows the client.  In the case of Jenkins, because the designers work in the same office as the supervisors and cost estimator (not to mention the rest of the staff), they have almost instant access to the resources they need to provide cost feedback to the client on design details.  For instance, “I like that wrought iron detail but not at that cost.  Is there a way to achieve the same look with less expense?”   This means that work proceeds at a much faster pace, especially throughout the design phase.  Also, having an in-house designer is one of the reasons Jenkins can guarantee that the cost is within 5% of the initial budget.

However, a less obvious reason Shan Jenkins believes in this approach is that having the design team in-house means that the client has more control over the creative process.  When a builder outsources their design work, the client must explain his or her wishes to the builder, who then submits the change to the designer.  Quite often, what the client had envisioned and what the designer returns are two very different things.  So the client must again attempt to explain what he or she wanted, and the builder must again submit it to the designer.  After a few weeks of that type of back and forth, many clients will simply settle for what they have been given, just so they can move forward with the process of building their new home.  With Jenkins, the client is continually interfacing with the designer, which means the design evolves in real time, with the client present to give his or her input, the designer sketching each detail as the client speaks. Want to add a half bath by the door to the pool?  No problem.  The designer can sketch it in right there during the meeting on trace paper and, if it isn’t the way you envisioned it, you can correct it right there on the spot.  Shortly thereafter, the team will provide you with cost data on that additional bath.  Before any changes are made to the plan, you can decide if it’s worth the extra money.  It’s a win-win for both the client and the builder.  The synergy that is created from having everyone working together as a team to accomplish the desires of the client means a superior home and a superior home building experience.

Wine Room Considerations

Bethany Jenkins, Vice-President of Jenkins Custom Homes, in her article on wine rooms writes, “Whether you are a wine enthusiast or a novice, a custom-built wine room is the hot trend in custom home design, especially where luxury reigns. A good wine cellar creates an opportunity for great wine for a lifetime. It can also add value for purposes of resale of the home…All fine wine collections require the same basic care: climate, humidity, and light control systems to protect and preserve delicate vintages. Vapor-tight doors and easy access are also top priorities. Proper storage makes financial sense and allows wines to be purchased when they are released, at the time they are most available and lower in price.”

So when planning your wine room, keep these three elements in mind: light, humidity and temperature of the room.

Light

This one is simple: “UV light can break down the protiens [sic] in the wine.  It’s best to store wine in the dark” (source: newcellars.com).  The bottom line is to keep your wine out of direct light.  A flush-mounted fixture with a frosted cover can easily achieve this, but other options include rope lighting that is hidden up in the molding or even a smaller chandelier with low wattage bulbs.

Humidity

Storing wines in a highly humid environment is important because it keeps the cork from shrinking and allowing for the degradation of the wine.  However, high humidity also increases the possibility of water vapor damage.  According to AskTheBuilder.com’s Tim Carter, “The wine rooms love relative humidity levels of 55 – 75% relative humidity. That is frighteningly high humidity. If that water vapor escapes from the wine room somehow, it can condense on cooler surfaces in a heartbeat.”

Humidity needs to be high in the room, but also contained in the space.  Installing a good vapor barrier is the key.  This is the point at which a good builder becomes critical.  A builder who is both knowledgeable about your climate and the problems that such high humidity can cause to the rest of your house, will prove invaluable.

Temperature

According to Carter, “the temperature of the space is supposed to be 55-58F.”  Jenkins writes that, “The bigger the cellar, the harder it is to control temperature and humidity”.  However, it is a critical component.  The temperature of the room will determine how well your best wines age.  The site, newcellars.com, says that “Wine is constantly growing, never static.  The best wines are aged slowly and stored properly in a cool dark damp area…Extreme fluctuations in temperature can cause premature aging or deposits.”  There are many systems available to help maintain this constant temperature, some of which have an alarm that sounds if the temperature exceeds the range specified.  Which system works best for your space is a decision best made with the help of an experienced builder.

Jenkins writes that “Wine rooms can be designed to fit most budgets and can be built to a variety of sizes and styles. If you are designing a new home or updating an existing one, a wine room can add value and style for the simplest of homes to the very elite. Approximately 75% of the homes built by Texas’ Custom Builder of the Year, Jenkins Custom Homes, contain wine rooms.”

Once you know these basics and have a knowledgeable builder, then all that’s left to decide is how far you are willing to go in your wine room design.

Build A Home Without Getting A Divorce – 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Taking The Dive

According to the MarriageBuilders website, a healthy marriage is built on the willingness of each spouse to meet the others’ emotional needs, to do “what it takes to make each other happy.”  The reason marriages fail is that they “succumb to…competing interests. Instead of meeting each other’s emotional needs, they meet the needs of little Sally, or the production manager. Or they decide to buy a new home or car which forces them to work more hours and spend less quality time with each other” (source: MarriageBuilders.com).  So, before you sign on the dotted line, ask yourself these questions:

What can we afford?

The number one cause of divorce among married couples is financial concerns, and the biggest investment most couples will ever make is a house.  So it stands to reason that if you are not in agreement about what you can afford before you start building, the problems will only escalate after you have moved in.  Dream house or not, the mortgage payment will come due every month and if that causes additional stress in your marriage, it could eventually lead to irreparable damage. The best way to avoid the scenario is to be clear from the beginning about how much money you are willing to spend and what you can afford.  Then the rest will fall into place.

What elements of the home matter most to each of us?

Answer questions such as:

• Do you love to entertain?
• Are you both outdoorsy?
• Do you have pets that are your “other children”?
• Do you have children or are you planning to start a family?  How many children would you eventually like to have?
• Will you need to accommodate an elderly parent or are you empty-nesters with children who will be coming back to visit?

Once you have a working list – and it might be different for each of you – try to order the list according to priority for each of you.  For instance, if having a guest bedroom and bathroom downstairs so that you can accommodate your elderly mother is near the top of your list but your husband really wants room for a workshop in the garage, then both of these must be worked into the design of the home.  In the end, however, it is the willingness on both sides to give and take that makes you able to preserve your marriage and still end up with a home you can both enjoy.

How will we handle the additional responsibilities of building?

There’s no way around it.  Building a home means adding a multitude of meetings to your calendar.  How will you handle these?  Is one of you more interested in the interior design and therefore more willing to take on meetings with the decorator and make the selections?  Will you both try to be at all the meetings? What if something comes up?  Does one of your jobs allow for more flexibility?  These are some questions that will save you from additional stress should you work through them prior to beginning the process.

How will we handle inevitable disagreements? Who will arbitrate our difference of opinion?

Before breaking ground, you may think you and your spouse are like-minded on everything.  But no matter how prepared you think you are, there are always going to be disagreements.  When these occur, how will you handle it?  Talking through this question may help settle the arguments before they occur.  For instance, one way to handle this is to agree to let your builder or decorator be the tie breaker.  Having quality professionals you can lean on can help take the pressure off of the two of you.

Another way to approach these differences of opinion is to consider resale value.  “No matter how much you love the house that you are building, it’s unlikely that it will be the last home you will ever own. Knowing that, you should be mindful of its potential resale value….Ask yourself if the features you’re considering installing are likely going to appeal to others” (source: www.lendingtree.com).

Do we have what it takes to keep our marriage thriving despite the additional demands of building?

The bottom line is to maintain open communication and be willing to put the health of the marriage relationship above your individual desires.  And if any of this worries you, take heart!  Shan Jenkins of Jenkins Custom Homes says, “Given the right set of circumstances and the right people, [building a home] could actually bring the couple closer together especially once the tough choices are behind them.  In all my years in home building, I have never had a couple divorce over the stress from building.”

Photo: Copyright Grady First

How Safe Is Your Safe?, Part Two

In Part One of “How Safe Is Your Safe?” we looked at the types of burglary safes available and where to put them in your home. Next, we will consider the most common ways of breaking into your safe.

Safe Manipulation Versus Lock Manipulation

The easiest way for a thief to gain the contents of your safe is to steal the whole safe and open it at his leisure.  That is why, as we mentioned in the previous article, the ‘safest safes’ are those that are installed in the walls of your home.  So assuming the thief is going to have to open the safe on the premises, his biggest obstacle is time.

Keeping in that in mind, there are two basic types of safe cracking: safe manipulation and lock manipulation. Safe manipulation includes drilling, torching, exploding – basically any method of getting into your safe that doesn’t involve having to figure out the combination. This is what Valdes considers the “low road”. The “high road”, then, is lock manipulation. “Lock manipulation represents safecracking at its most pure form.”

Lock Manipulation

While safe cracking does require listening carefully while turning the dial on a safe, that is where TV/movies and reality part ways.  Beyond just listening, the thief must also graph results, repeating the process over and over, until they have narrowed down to the most probable numbers in the combination. And since there is no way to determine what order the numbers are in, they then must begin working through all the possible combinations of those numbers. The more numbers in the combination, the more possibilities.

The bottom line is that cracking the code on a safe is both labor and time intensive, which is why, “Lock manipulation is used more by locksmiths than safecrackers because of the skill and time needed to pull it off“ (source: Valdes).  That leaves safe manipulation.

Safe Manipulation

“The most common method safecrackers use to manipulate the safe itself is drilling” (source: Valdes). As a counter measure, many safe manufacturers have installed cobalt plates, which prevent a common drill bit from ever penetrating the lock.  It may be possible to drill through using a diamond or titanium bit, but the thief will go through several drills as “as the bits will outlast the motors” and will take a whole lot of time (source: Valdes).

Another option for the thief is to drill above the cobalt plate in an attempt to see the locking mechanism using a fiber-optic camera called a borescope. However, the counter measure to this is a relocker that “is tripped when the safecracker’s drill bit breaks a sheet of glass or plastic while drilling into the lock” (source: Valdes) Once the relocker is tripped, only a locksmith or safe technician can open the safe.

Other than drilling, the thief can also attempt to cut a hole in the side of your safe – assuming he can remove it from the wall – using oxy-acetylene torches, plasma cutters and thermic lances. Or he can simply attempt to explode it on the premises using nitroglycerin. Of course, these methods generate noise, smoke and require skills that not all thieves have.

So, are you feeling better about your safe?  Think again.

What Can You Do To Protect Your Valuables?

No matter what kind of safe you purchase, all safes “…[contain] a fundamental weakness: Every safe must be accessible to a locksmith or other authority in the event of a malfunction or lock-out. This weakness forms the basis of safecracking.” (source: Valdes).

So how do most thieves break into a safe?  The answer may surprise you.

Change The Try-Out Combination

“All safes are shipped from the manufacturer with try-out combinations. Ideally a safe owner resets the try-out combination after purchasing the safe. This doesn’t happen as often as you would think. Many safe owners simply buy the safe and use the try-out combination; making their safe easy prey for safecrackers. The try-out combinations for most safes are an industry standard and widely known by both locksmiths and safecrackers” (source: Valdes).  So change the combination after your safe is installed!

Keep The Code a Secret

“Surprisingly, many people write the combination down near the safe, if not on the safe itself.” (source: Valdes)  Obviously, the smart thief will begin his attempt to crack open your safe by looking around for the combination.  So the obvious solution is keep the combination in a secure location, away from the safe itself!

Despite what you may have seen in the movies, safe-cracking is a rare form of burglary.  Just having one does not prevent a thief from attempting to steal its contents, but armed with a little knowledge, you can keep your valuables safe inside your safe.