An energy efficient home is an important investment, and for some of our clients it is the biggest investment their family will make. When we discuss our high performance homes, we keep our main focus on the cost savings benefits because energy efficient homes are unique in that there is a return on investment.

However, the “icing on the cake” if you will, is that our high performance homes are also considered, and many times are certified, green. This means they have all of the environmental advantages, for both the indoor living environment and the environment at large, that come by way of green building philosophies such as energy efficiency, durability, and superior indoor air quality.

When meeting with our clients, however, every one includes some modicum of green in their home plans – be it from the use of Energy STAR lighting and appliances throughout, to a full caulk and seal package you find with many new homes, our clients often come to us asking for a least some green feature if not a entire green home.

According to a recent survey by Green Builder Magazine, our clients aren’t unique in their requests. In fact, according to their survey results, the majority of people, nearly 60%, consider themselves “green” in some regard. And an overwhelming majority – almost 80%! – said that a green rating or credential would be an important consideration if they were in the market for a home. And when it comes to improvements or renovations, the respondents also showed they knew their stuff when it comes to energy efficiency. The top five home improvement projects the respondents stated they would embark on were all related to improving air flow and insulation, including projects such as sealing the house, adding insulation, and upgrading the HVAC system.

You can see more results from the survey by visiting the article on greenbuildermag.com, and taken all together it is great news to see that more and more people are beginning to see the overwhelming advantages to green building.

When you are building a new home, one important thing to consider before selecting a builder is their home warranty. For many families, a new home is the biggest investment they will make, so it follows that knowing how your investment is protected should be a consideration up front.

Before you sign with a contractor to build your new home, consider the following pieces of information about their home warranty:

Who Guarantees It?
Many home warranties, especially when you are going with an independent, locally-based builder, are backed by the builder themselves. However, it is also possible that a builder will works with an independent home warranty company for their coverage. Be sure to ask how claims are handled and who is responsible for the warranty work.

What Does It Cover?
Not every issue will be covered by a home warranty. For example, the appliances, small cracks in cement or drywall, or things otherwise covered under a manufacturer’s warranty are not usually covered. Be sure you know what is excluded, and what the length of coverage is for categories of repairs that are covered.

What Do I Do In Case of a Dispute?
In the circumstance that there is a dispute with the builder (a highly unlikely case, but not unheard of), be upfront in asking what your recourse is. Many builders have a predefined process written into their warranties regarding how to dispute a refusal of service, sometimes it will go through mediation and arbitration before going through court, but make sure you know what your rights as a claimant are.

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a home builder, and sometimes making sure you are asking the right questions can be a challenge. However, protecting your investment with a full understanding of your new home’s warranty should be an important consideration for anyone considering building a home.

Dean Holtmeyer, our superintendent, goes over plans with custom home clients.

If you’re about to build a new home or renovate an existing one, you are probably wondering what makes a good custom home builder? Having worked in the industry since 2004, I have come to see that a good home builder is knowledgeable, honest, willing to listen, communicates very well, and follows through on promises.

Now, can you describe a good custom client? You’re probably wondering why it matters. It matters because building a custom home requires that the builder and the homeowner communicate well and work together as s team for the project to be successful. Granted most of the responsibility in the home building does fall on the builder, there are ways clients can help out as well.

First, have a clear idea of what you want.
That’s not to say you can’t make changes, after all – this is your dream home! But being organized and decisive will help keep the project come in on-time and on-budget.

Keep the lines of communication open and positive.
If your builder asks for information or decisions respond quickly. Don’t be afraid to ask you builder questions, and if you have a concern or issue, approach the builder with an open mind and work together to find a solution. To make sure all of your questions or concerns are met, we recommend scheduling a weekly meeting with your builder where you can bring your list of questions to the table and get an update on progress. This can help give you peace of mind and improve the building process.

Be flexible.
Keep in mind that, by definition, this is the first time your builder has built your custom home so there are bound to be questions, and surprises along the way that may require a few changes. By working together and being flexible, you and your builder can address those changes quickly and in a way that will ensure everyone is happy.

Expect the unexpected.
Talk with your builder up front about what could go wrong so you can be prepared for some of the common speed bumps that are out of your builder’s control. For example, during excavation you may hit rock or find soil not suitable to support a foundation. Frequently there are weather delays, or materials could be back ordered or simply delivered wrong. A good conversation can sometimes help you prepare for the unexpected.

Bottom line, building a custom home is a great experience and can be fun when your team is made up of a good custom home builder and a good custom client.

You may have noticed how much emphasis we put on the communication component of home building, and we can’t stress how important it truly is to a successful project. One of the many communication tools we use at Hibbs Homes is called Co-construct – a web based software that tracks project details, schedules and more. This is a service we offer to our customers are part of our commitment to building better homes, and here is a quick video that shows you why we chose this tool and how it helps our clients end up with a better custom home.