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Home Upgrades that Lower the Maintenance Hassles

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Do you live in a house that is 10 to 15 years old? If yes, you probably have big-ticket items that should be replaced or repaired in the next few years. And, these can put off potential buyers when selling your home. If you make those repairs or replacements first, you can boost the asking price and make your house sell faster. Here are some of the home upgrades that lower the maintenance hassles and make a house sell faster. 

Re-doing the Roof 

You can recover up to 107% of the cost of roof replacement at resale. If your house sits at around $250,000, a new roof will bring you more value than a similar house with an old roof. So, if you want to get more money when selling your house, consider redoing the roof if it’s old and worn out. 

Pump Up Your HVAC 

When purchasing a home, most buyers want to know when the HVAC was replaced or installed. They also want to know more about the tank-less water heater. Replacing the HVAC can recoup around 85% of the total costs when you resell your home. 

Siding Replacement 

The siding of your house can influence the decisions of many potential buyers. So, if the siding of your home is not in good shape, consider replacing or repairing it. Most buyers are concerned about issues like mold and durability that are associated with some siding brands. Therefore, think about the brand of the siding that you buy and install on your home. Vinyl siding or fiber-cement can recoup between 63% and 76% of the costs during a resale. 

Although you want to upgrade your home, you don’t want to install something that will cost you more in maintenance. Therefore, consider these options when looking for home upgrades that will reduce the overall maintenance hassles. …

How to Save Money When Building a Mansion

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A mansion is an extravagant residential setting with expansive and inviting living spaces. As such, it could cost an arm and a leg if you do not take the time to properly plan for the project. However, that does not mean you have to approach the project with everything you got. The following are some practical ways to save money and keep the costs down when building a mansion. 

Opt for Open Floor Plans 

Generally, the larger size of a mansion will mean more spending on the construction. Instead of reducing the size of the house, consider open floor plans. Such a floor plan will enable you to customize the spaces in various ways without feeling too squeezed. Open floor plans will also ensure that the spaces can serve multiple functions. For instance, a large kitchen island can also be used as a dining and living room. That could save you some money on the cost of labor and building materials. 

Go Easy on the Finishes 

Mansions usually have warm and extravagant finishes with a timeless appeal. But, that does not mean you have to select only the high end rarely found finishes for your new mansion. Instead, take time to shop around for low-key materials and finishes that can deliver the same exquisite feel at a fraction of the cost. It is advisable to start with the basic aesthetics like concrete flooring, wooden staircases, and unfinished looks. That will not only save you money but, also allow you the flexibility of customizing the aesthetics later. 

Consider Green Building Materials 

Using eco-friendly and energy-efficient materials is also a great way to save money when building your new home. Some of the areas where you can implement such alternatives include the windows, framing, doors, heating and cooling devices, lighting among others. Many Green building products also often come with huge tax cuts. 

Overall, saving money does not mean going too far to compromise the design and comfort of the house. Instead, focus on the things that you need then; assess their value against your budget estimates. …

Low-Cost Building: Ways to Save Money When Building Your House

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Financial constraints are among some of the key reasons why most people often shy away from building their own homes.  However, building a house does not have to be expensive. With a few tricks up your sleeve, you could easily save a lot of money for the construction of your home. Here are some clever ways to save money when building your house. 

Consider Buying a Large Plot with Friends or Family 

The cost of buying land for home construction usually takes a greater chunk of the overall building costs. To avoid the strain, you should consider purchasing a large lot with friends or family then, split it based on individual contributions. That can save you a lot of money, especially when you need land in an area that you cannot afford. 

Purchase Low-maintenance Building Materials 

Low-maintenance building materials such as metal roofing, cement siding, and vinyl will also save you a lot during house construction and, in the long term. A seasoned builder can help you to easily identify and acquire the right low-maintenance building materials for your house and budget. 

Focus on the Essentials 

While you may have different ideas for the desired living space, going extravagant will only hike the building costs. To save money, focus on the structural features and fixtures that you cannot live without first. You can make luxury remodels later after moving in. 

Buy a ‘’Problem Lot’’

Problem lots are usually found in unique environments such as hillsides or narrow lots. Such properties hardly attract many buyers and often sell at very low prices. With a good house plan and builder, you can easily transform a problematic lot into a dream home at a fraction of the cost. 

Re-use Building Materials 

Used bricks, repurposed doors, and old wood plans can create beautiful and comfortable living spaces for much less. You can acquire the materials from various construction sites and, also use the wastes from your work site. 

Building a house might seem like a costly adventure at first but, you can easily save a lot of money when you take time to properly plan for the project with the above ideas in mind. …

Low-Cost House Designs: 5 Design Principles of Home Building

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How your home is designed can either impact high construction costs or greater savings. If the design is complex with many features and corners, you can expect to pay more in terms of construction costs compared to a simple house design. Nevertheless, the following are five principles to help you design and build a low-cost home. 

Optimizing the Strategic Position of the House On-site

Choosing the most suitable construction plan for your home mainly depends on the geography of the land, its climate, and other environmental factors. The general condition of the land will significantly impact the overall construction costs, appropriate foundation, and positioning of the structure. The general rule is to consider an affordable house design with features that can allow you to maximize the positives of the environment such as solar and cool breezes. 

Choose Simple Designs with Efficient Floor Plans 

Houses with simple rectilinear designs have smaller footprints that require fewer materials, time, and labor to build. However, you should be keen to choose efficient floor plans that maximize space and meet your living needs. 

Consider Energy-efficient House Designs 

Energy efficiency is not just about the building materials and products installed in the home. To conserve energy, consider a house design with features that allow you to maximize the usage of natural light and ventilation. 

Use Low-cost Building Materials 

The cost of building materials not only relates to the prices listed by suppliers but, also the cost of their installation and maintenance. As such, consider affordable but, long-lasting building materials and products that can effectively withstand wear and tear over time. 

Implementing an affordable home design and construction may not be the easiest adventures. However, the above guidelines can help you to easily avoid common problems and ensure a successful house construction project. Besides, it is also advisable that you consider using standard construction methods to cut the costs of building materials and labor. 

Check out some tips and advice from other construction savvy blogs and businesses. https://www.homeadvisor.com/

Significant Trends in the Construction Industry in 2020

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The construction industry is one of the most ancient parts of human civilization. It has evolved gradually to become a US $ 358.9 billion, according to CAGR in 2018. Also, this industry prides itself with a 13% share of the world’s GDP. The rise in technology has given the industry a significant boost. The digital revolution has given the construction industry a whole new life. It’s increasingly becoming easier to complete new buildings with limited resources (labour, capital, time & materials). 

Current trends in the construction industry 

While there are many trends in the construction industry to look out for, the following are some of the key trends to utilize as you plan your next construction project.

  1. 3D printing

3D printing has come a long way and deserves the top spot, dating back in the 1980s. Initially, it was used to print objects. However, incorporating technologies such as sprayed materials and micro casting has triggered things in the construction segment.  

It’s now possible to 3D print a whole house in one day. After that, workers join prefabricated materials to form the complete unit (can be onsite or offsite). This method allows you to reduce waste, cut down costs, and reduces work-shifts disruptions. It’s evident why this trend is gaining momentum day by day.

  1. Robotics

Robotics technology is being used to automate almost every field in the world. It’s being used in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and now in construction. Despite their low uptake, robotics has all that it takes to disrupt the industry. It’s possible to automate roughly 50 % of all the construction works. 

Notable players in this field are the exoskeletons, which help workers to carry heavier loads effortlessly. As mentioned above, prefabricated building materials have had a broad uptake and robotics play a critical role in automating such systems. As you increase efficiency, you reduce costs and improve worker’s safety. 

  1. Virtual, Mixed & Augmented reality

This technology improves (VR) or replaces (AR) the viewer’s experience; it shuts down the external environment. Gaming enthusiasts have used VR and know what it adds. This technology helps workers in various ways, such as refining designs, improvising their plans, or identifying any process errors. This technology has such a massive impact on engineers on the construction sites. 

  1. Sustainability

As the climate change debate is trending, sustainable design has emerged as an excellent alternative to reduce the builder’s environmental impact. Many builders are turning to sustainable construction as the world seeks to reverse climate change. Low carbon emission is expected to continue driving innovation and design in years to come through energy efficiency.

Worthy mentions

  • Building information modelling (BIM)
  • Use of drones
  • Better safety equipment
  • Use of prefabricated panels

Conclusion

Embracing technology in construction projects creates a win-win situation. The owners save costs and time, the workers operate in safe environments while the engineers have it easy while designing and implementing designs. The environment wins too, less pollution is realized. If utilized to their full potential, the above trends will push the construction industry to a top-level.