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April 2017

How to Choose a Custom Home Builder in Oregon – Oregon Home Builders Halvorson Mason

By Oregon Home Builders

Selecting the right custom home builder in Oregon for your custom home is one of the most important decisions you can make. Building a custom home is a huge investment in time and resources, and there is only one chance to get it right. When it comes to the amount of time and money required throughout the entire process, make sure the builder you are working with appreciates that as much as you do and works to make you happy.

There are many important factors to remember when selecting one among the home builders in Oregon. Consider these steps in the selection process to ensure you begin this important process with a builder that is a good fit for you and building the home of your dreams.

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Meet the Builder in Person – You are going to be spending many months ahead working with your builder. Meeting potential builders in person is the best way to ensure personalities are compatible when it comes to working through such a long-term and large project together. Chances are, if you get bad feelings in your initial meetings, those feelings are going to come back with a vengeance as work goes on. It is important to take personality into account when making such a big decision. You want to work with a builder you feel comfortable with and who answers all of your questions and concerns. Builders and contractors are very busy people, but they should be responsive and make themselves available to their clients.

Review Their Portfolio – It is more than OK to be meticulous and particular. Make sure to vet the builder’s portfolio of previous custom home builds for quality and style that ideally matches your own. A builder whose entire portfolio consists of contemporary homes may not be the best fit for that highly traditional home you seek – and vice-versa. While many builders have expertise in a variety of design styles and architectural details, in general, look for a builder whose work includes at least some examples of the style of home you want. Look at the builder’s portfolio from every angle, including touring the homes in person. Nothing substitutes a tour by a builder, whether it be furnished and decorated model home that’s open to the public or scheduled by appointment. In either case, pay careful attention to the look, feel and quality of the home and ask all of the questions you can. A good custom home builder will welcome your questions and concerns to put you at ease.
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Evaluate Their Reputation and Experience – There are multiple websites and consumer advocacy groups that will allow you to thoroughly vet your potential custom home builder in Oregon before committing to one. Sites like the Oregon Home Builders Association as well as city-specific government sites can be resourceful guides on business practices and reputation. Aside from testimonials provided on the builder’s site, research all other available resources online for reviews and testimonials as well to ensure a reputable builder is the one you choose. Reaching out to the builder for a list of contractors and other companies they work with is another great way of accessing references that the builder may not have otherwise provided when asked specifically for references.

Remembering these few key points when considering custom home builders in Oregon, you’ll be well on your way to selecting a good builder who’s a good fit for you, your needs, and the new home you’ll build together.

Custom Built Homes | What Makes a New Home More Efficient?

By Oregon Home Builders

 

As you consider new custom built homes for the sake of energy efficiency, it’s important to know what makes a new home more efficient compared to buying or remodeling an older home and what options are available for making an existing home meet newer standards in efficiency.

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What Makes a New Home More Efficient?

Electricity and natural gas were at one point more affordable than they are today and it was also more affordable to build a home without much insulation. Windows used to be single-pane and have aluminum frames that conducted heat and cold into the house. Since utilities weren’t as expensive fifteen years ago, homebuyers didn’t insist on energy efficiency and building authorities didn’t require it.
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Size of the home is also a large contributing factor in efficiency. The Energy Information Administration recently published a study showing that modern homes are 30% larger than those built before 2000, but they use just about 2% more energy. New homes typically tend to be larger than those built fifteen or more years ago. That means they will require more energy to heat, cool and light. The cost associated with high cost of utilities means new homebuyers have demanded energy-efficiency upgrades to new homes.

Whether you’re looking at options and designs for energy efficient custom built homes or planning to remodel your existing home, it’s important to consider investing in efficiency for long-term cost savings and sustainability of your home. Choosing options that ensure an efficient home will save energy and money, and you will be able to live more comfortably in a durable house because of it. The planning process is a good time to look into a renewable energy system that can provide electricity, water heating, or space heating and cooling.

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If you’re planning to design and build a new home or remodel your current home for energy efficiency, and would like to learn more about how new-home construction is energy efficient and about the energy upgrades some of the best home builders in Oregon include in their custom-built houses, contact the builders at Halvorson-Mason and we will happily discuss energy efficiency with you.

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Oregon Builders – What to Ask a Potential Custom Home Builder

By Oregon Home Builders

Choosing a home builder in Oregon is a key step in the journey that leads to your dream home. Before you choose a home builder however, knowing the right questions to ask before you proceed in the contract and building process can alleviate a lot of unknowns that may come up along the way, and ensure you’ve chosen the right fit for what needs and desires you envision in the build of your new home. Asking potential home builders the questions below will ensure you choose the right builder to create your new home — and give you confidence in your choice.

Building your custom Oregon coast home will be one of the largest investments that you make in life so it’s natural that you want to choose the builders to complete the project. Before starting your project with a custom home builder, ensure you understand all of the components that come with expectations of costs, contract details, the building process. Below you’ll find a list of our most frequently asked questions we often receive before the building process begins. You can also find answers to these questions in our FAQ page.

  • I’m thinking of building a home on the Oregon coast – what is the first step?
  • What happens next?
  • Are there more steps before the building process starts?
  • What will the building contract include?
  • How will change orders be handled?
  • Another contractor bid lower than you – Why should I choose Halvorson-Mason?
  • I notice you have a CCB number. What is that, and why is it important?
  • What permits will building a home require?
  • Does Halvorson-Mason warranty its homes?

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There may be other important questions you wish to ask, so do not hesitate to ask them. We share in the excitement for the decision you’ve made to embark on an exciting journey that will lead to your dream home. As you progress through each stage —finding, buying, designing and building your new home—we hope we can assist you in anything along the way and to be your trusted resource for your custom home build project.