Material selection:

Deciding on what materials you want on your home can make all the difference in the long term success of your investment. Not always are the most expensive items the best selection for your goals. Other items are worth the additional cost to you upfront for the long term pay off. From roofing to the grade steal you choose to put into the slab, all have return on investment. (ROI) For example: choosing to use 5/8th rebar vs. a welded wire can add additional life to your foundation. Much like deciding to spend the extra money on installing a metal roof vs. a shingle one. Knowing that you will never have to replace or repair items is always a good decision.
On the other hand sometimes spending the cash for expensive items such as carpet or granite counter tops can ultimately just cost you more when it comes time to make needed repairs or replace these items. Generally there are better uses for your monies than fancy "Jewelry" items. Carpet typically will not hold up as long as tile or wood floors and holds massive amounts of dirt (sand) as well as ten times its weight in dust, mostly made up of dead skin. Granite needs to be taken care of with kid gloves and is not ideal for rental applications. I love the look of granite but do not see the ROI that I typically would like to get in any product that I place into a property of mine.
Sometimes people believe that going cheap on some items at first with plans to later replace these items with more pricey items is a good way to save money upfront. I have never understood this idea as it adds additional cost to the permanent items that you wish to have eventually in your home.
Getting a higher seer HVAC system is going to save you money on your electric bills, But typically in salty environments, that are found on beach properties, the return on the additional cost will not be realized before the unit is worn out. Where as a closed cell product (spray foam) as insulation is an additional cost that most do not consider even though the ROI is outstanding considering its longevity. Not only will this product last longer than bat insulation or even cellulose, but it seems to provide additional structural support.
There are literally hundreds of items that go into your home. To maximize the ROI its important to know what options are at your disposal to get the most back in the long term.
Unfortunately there are not many avenues for your exploration as to what products will do best in one location and will require a certain amount of research to make sure you get whats best for you and your investment.

Jeph (J.B.) Burnett.

Find yourself a General Contractor

(as published on www.crystalbeachlocalnews.

com)


In the times of great Generals in ancient Rome, March was
the first month of the year and named Martius, in honor of
the God of War. It marked the coming of spring and the
start of new military campaigns.

That may explain some of the March Madness we still see
today… Well friend, our days of battling as legionnaires
are behind us, but we are still at war. Fighting to defend
our squadrons, conquer new goals and optimize our lives.

Having a good offense as well as a defense will lend to an
affective strategy to successful outcomes

The first step to building a project is to locate your soldiers.
You easily can find those that can do each of the trades.

Assembling them one piece at a time is a great way to
know what your getting for a final project. From the foundation
to the roof everything requires a professional who knows his
craft. The sharp shooter knows his job and trains to implement
his skill when called upon.

Although time consuming and requiring much more research
than if you can find a General with the experience and warriors
that are ready to fight your battles. This only would demand that
you find the loyalty of one instead of many. His control over the
masses is due to his knowledge of talent. His ability to lead into
a successful outcome. Everyone wants to be successful if they
have pride in their work.

To find the General you can look for the flash or hear the stories
but to truly know where his sincerity lies you must just have a
conversation. Take the time to question him and get him to
bestow his knowledge upon you without effort. Clear communication
of your long term goals are the key to allowing just one to control
the task of so many.

Then listen hear his plan and feel as to if you can see his vision to
make yours come true. His steady and easy hand should guild you
into something that feels like success. Both the easy and the complex
should be discussed. From his relationships with his troops to the
final day of the battle you want to know that he will still be there
to offer his guidance even after the job is complete.

There can be madness in a battle to achieve great things. Or there can
be precision work done to accomplish the monumental. All choices
take time to consider and have their own value. The cost to your
mental state can not be accounted for if you do not win the battle.
A team of experts rarely will fall into your lap. You must consider
time, energy, imagination, and information that is required to find
success. Utilizing a General who has fought and won many battles
before can help you both financially as well as mentally.
This leaves us to decide whether we should take on being the general
or find one with experience.


Jeph (J.B.) Burnett

So you want to build a beach home!

(as seen in the Beach Triton)


Many people never thought they would be going through the process of building a new home and yet here they are. The key to anything successful is dependent on the effort that one applies to their goal. No matter what you do the time, energy, imagination, and information that you apply to your project will usually have a direct effect on its outcome. Of course this isn't always the case and sometimes you can be fortunate enough to have it all work out without much effort. With that being said, I will be writing a series of articles on how to go about insuring the success of the building of a new beach home. Including the site selection, design, floor plan, amenities, selection of trades, construction process, pricing, timing, unexpected cost, how to negotiate, communication, products, green alternatives, and many other aspects as we get into it.

If you already have a lot or your wanting to purchase one, finding out what utility's are available, what city or county codes apply, and deed restrictions all can have an overall effect on the outcome of your project. This is one of the easier parts of the total process. Having city/county sewer is about the same price in most cases as a septic system but without the long term expense. Also knowing what your neighbors are building around you should be a consideration when deciding what direction your going to go with your project. Making sure that you stay within the basic size of the homes around you is important to consider as this home is an investment that if you decide to cash in on you want to make sure you get the most return on your money. Deciding if your property is going to be a rental, weekend getaway, or residence is important as well as its use should also effect the location of the home. Consulting a Realtor that deals in both sales and rentals is always a good idea before any movement is taken towards the project beginning. We all know that the closer you are to the beach the more desirable your property will be.

Determining the square footage of your beach home is a difficult one but affects every aspect of your project. From the size of lot to the total footprint that your home will take over is key to determining what all you will be able to fit within the four walls. A typical bedroom is 150 sq.ft. , 100 sq.ft for a kitchen, 400 sq.ft. for a living area, 50 sq.ft. for a bath. As you can see it does not take much to be at 1000 sq. ft. fairly quickly. Utilizing everything under the roof is the key when building as hallways and dead space cost the same amount to build as livable square footage. Working with an experienced designer will help to lay out your home with the maximum return. Knowing what the usage for the home will be vital information when laying out the floor plan. This process should be considered at length and many factors looked over. Furniture lay out, views, high traffic areas, and how many people you want to have be comfortable within the space all make a difference.

Knowing a budget for your build is also vital information to have determined before the process begins. Cost for building home to a quality standard has several variables that I will discuss at length over the next several articles. Keep in mind that the structure of the home is the most important thing and that maintenance is a close second on the list of priorities. Structure with the strength to withstand long term is not something you can or should even consider sacrificing. Slightly overbuilding even to the current code is never a waste of money. As well as making the home last as long as possible between needed repairs should be another important consideration. The best products are not necessarily the most expensive especially when considering the long term cost to maintain the home. You will not be able to save money by doing things twice in any case so its always better to do things right the first time.

Be prepared to take your time in the planning stage and you will be rewarded with an investment that you can enjoy as well as be proud of for years to come!

Jeph (J.B.) Burnett

What to consider when designing a beach house:

(as published on www.crystalbeachlocalnews.

com)



* What is the house going to be used for, full time living, weekend home, or rental. Each of these different types would have different storage requirements.



* Room locations?

Bathrooms at the beach are a high traffic room. Do you want sand being dragged throughout the house.



* How many people are going to be living at the home/ going to be sleeping in the home? If you don’t have city service your septic tank will need to be large enough to accommodate for everyone with no problems. You will need to plan for beds for everyone as well as bathrooms with flexible considerations to have more then one person occupying the bathroom at one time.



* What do you plan to use the outdoor space for? If you are wanting to have a dining table on the deck or lay out chairs(not sure if that’s the technical name for them) you will want to make sure you have enough room to easily walk around them



* Is this a house you plan to live in for ever or just a few years and then sell? If it’s a home that you plan to grow old in then you will want to make a more flexible living environment that could accommodate walkers or wheelchairs without to much extra construction in the future. Plan for where a possible elevator could be located. Beach houses have lots of stairs!



* Size of furniture? If you already have furniture that you absolutely love giving the designer those measurements can help make sure your room sizes aren’t to large or small to accommodate for the furniture in the design stage.



* Budget- Budget will determine the types of finishes you will be able to choose from. It will be the difference not only in sqft but also laminate vs. solid surface counter tops, polished brass vs. brushed nickel fixtures and carpet vs. laminate wood floors. We always recommend building a sturdy structure first though to take all the precautions make sure your home can survive the next storm.



* Window and door placement- this is surprising a very import step in determining how your interior design will flow. Putting doors in the middle of walls doesn’t always lend to the best furniture arrangement. Putting floor to ceiling windows in the bedrooms can block valuable wall space. Remember that they not only need to be aesthetically pleasing from the outside but need to function as part of the room on the inside.



* Will you have a garage- The pilings will need to be spaced far enough apart to accommodate not just a car but leave you able to open the doors when you pull in the garage without hitting a piling.



* Style of the home- what type of architecture do you like. The more elaborate the exterior is the more expensive it will be to build



Jeph (J.B.) Burnett