by Matt Shouse | Jan 28, 2019 | Approved Professional Builder, Blog, Southern Home and Garden Show, Upstate Parade of Homes
You really want a new kitchen and a living room that has not become the playroom. You seem to have too many people and not enough bathrooms, and ultimately, you will need a safer and more accessible home as you age. You are ready to make a change, but you need to decide: remodel or relocate?
There is no one right answer for every situation. Before you look at houses for sale, or draw up plans to remodel or add on, think about the approach that best meets your wants and that can help you determine what is the best plan of action.
Answering these questions can help you decide:
Do you like your neighborhood? Do your friends and your children’s’ friends live there? Is your favorite park or coffee shop nearby? Are the schools the right fit for your family? Or do you wish you lived closer to work, with a park nearby, as well as a neighborhood restaurant and pub?
How does your home compare in value to others in the neighborhood? Will your remodel make your home the most expensive on the street? Is a house that fits your needs more important than resale if you are planning on living there a long time?
How long do you expect a new space to meet your needs? If your children are making your house feel small, consider their age. How much longer do you expect them to live at home? Do you need more square footage now? Or can you wait a couple of years before downsizing?
What is your tolerance for living in a construction zone? Based on your list of needs, how long and disruptive will the remodeling process be? Temporary housing is expensive, but so is moving to a new home. There are costs for closing, fixing up your current house to sell, moving and even making your new home your own.
What’s the market like for the home you want? How likely are you to find a place you can afford, with the features you want and in the neighborhood you prefer?
Weigh these factors and decide whether you want to remodel or relocate.
Start Planning for the Southern Home and Garden Show
The professionals who can help you find your dream home or remodel your current home will be exhibiting at the Southern Home and Garden Show March 1-3 at the Greenville Convention Center. Make plans to attend now by visiting www.SouthernHomeandGardenShow.com.
by ShoesOptional | Oct 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
Just in time for the Holidays your SMC of the Upstate thought we would show you a few of our “Favorite Things.” A wish list if you will of things that are hot in new construction. Come find out how to sell new construction with the latest and greatest installed in the walls and we’ll bring the ABC’s of Construction events full circle with a finished home.
Sponsored and hosted by Goodwin Foust Custom Homes.
Thursday, November 19th from 11-1:00 p.m.
*RSVP required- please RSVP by Monday, November 16th.*
by ShoesOptional | Sep 24, 2015 | Uncategorized
Greenville, SC based residential contractor looking for Construction Site Supervisor for Marietta, GA based projects. The construction site supervisor will assist Project Manager (PM) in overseeing the construction activities taking place on the work site and will be involved in daily supervision of Sub Contractors. The role is a salaried position and reports directly to the PM. When supervisor is present, all work crews and individuals on site will take direction from the site supervisor, who is responsible for knowing what work is to be done and implementation of the necessary resources to complete the work. In concert with the PM, the Construction Site Supervisor will plan, implement and oversee construction efforts at specific worksites.
Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
· Insure unit construction schedule is followed and maintained
· Immediately communicates any deviations to the schedule to the PM
· As directed, contacts subs for scheduling of work on project
· Monitors subcontractor attendance on site
· Regular inspection of work product for quality control issues, identifies issues and directs necessary repairs
· Monitor, manage, and direct unit “punch out” including minor carpentry work as needed
· As directed, meets with buyers on site to demonstrate progress and quality of construction and answer questions. Any change orders requested will be directed to PM in writing
· Insures safe conditions on the job site at all times
· Insures job site is maintained in a clean and orderly fashion with all materials secured and safe from weather
· Insures subcontractors are parking appropriately as not to inconvenience existing community homeowners or hinder normal community activity
· Receives material and matches with Obsidian Purchase Orders. Delivers all packing slips to PM
· As needed, facilitate with unloading of material
· Meets with local utility companies to insure proper and timely installation of utilities
· Schedules and meets local inspectors for progress inspections and reports inspection results to PM
· Contacts necessary subs to schedule work to remedy any failed inspections
· Insures timely & proper installation of buyer changes as directed by Obsidian office
Knowledge and Skills:
· Minimum of 5 years residential construction management experience
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills
· Positive attitude and problem solving mentality
· Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
· Experience managing skilled trades and non-skilled labor
· Experienced carpenter with own tools
· Thorough understanding of framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, foundation, carpentry and masonry trades
· Ability to read and understand blueprints, schematics, and construction documents
· Understanding of proper safety procedures and recognition of hazards
· Ability to organize material and labor
· Knowledge of national and local building codes
· Proficient using email and basic smart phone technology
Compensation
· Annual Salary – Commensurate with experience
· Monthly cell phone reimbursement
· Truck mileage reimbursement
by Michael Dey | Oct 25, 2013 | Uncategorized
The 2012 Survey of Construction (SOC) from the Census Bureau shows that on average it takes about 7 months from obtaining a building permit to completing a new single-family home. Looking at the houses completed in 2012, houses built for sale, on average, register the shortest time from permits to completion – between 5 and 6 months. Houses built on owner’s land take longer – about 8 months if built by a contractor and more than 11 months if they are owner-built (i.e., where the owner of the land serves as a general contractor). Single-family homes built for rent take, on average, between 8 and 9 months from permits to completion.
In most cases, no time is wasted from the moment a permit is obtained and construction is started. Most homes built for sale and on owners’ land are started prior or within the same month as authorization. Houses built for rent, on average, register a slight delay of one month before construction is started.
The time from permits to completion varies across the nine Census divisions. New England and Middle Atlantic register longer times of between 9 and 10 months. Pacific and East North Central division also show above average time of 8 months to completion. Builders in the East South Central Division manage to complete a home in 7 months, on average. The rest of the country registers times between 5 and 6 months.
For houses built for sale, the SOC also gathers information on sales, registered at the time when a buyer signs a sale agreement or makes a deposit on the home, not the final closing. For new single-family homes sold in 2012, the average time from completion to sale is under one month. However, this average is highly skewed by a relatively small number of homes that are not sold prior or while under construction. Looking at new single-family homes completed in 2012, more than three quarters of these properties were sold before or during the completion month, including 30 percent that were pre-sold (i.e., sold before being started). Only 6 percent of homes completed in 2012 remain unsold as of the first quarter of 2013. So, for most new single family homes there is no additional lag from completion to sale.
by Michael Dey | May 10, 2013 | Uncategorized
Part of the reason employment growth is so weak is that despite sizable increases in residential construction spending, increases in construction employment have been MIA. From April 2012 to April 2013, residential construction put-in-place increased from $249 billion to $295 billion, an 18% rise. However, during the same period, the number of residential building employees and residential specialty trade contractors rose from 2,048,100 to 2,131,800 or by just 4%!
Elliot F. Eisenberg, Ph.D.
GraphsandLaughs, LLC
elliot@graphsandlaughs.net
